Favors
by BAColeNC
Summary: Sequel to Payback Red X finds Starfire sick and injured and takes her in and her bests interests are not his intention. Base idea from I Collect Bananas on this site.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Wizened blue eyes intently watched the video as Vidak'an Koriand'r, or Empress Starfire as she is generally known to the people of Jump City, took charge of the evacuation of the VILTUR'L as the containment of the ships engines was fading to complete breach. On the right side of the screen Tamaranean characters flickered and changed as the telemetry from the dying ship was matched to the events on the screen.

"Lishka," the woman watching the video said and the picture froze. "Elara gerto pevo," she ordered and the upper right section of the picture was enhanced. Just then, the computer to her right chimed softly and she quickly typed a command into her keyboard. She scanned the text that quickly filled the screen and her eyes widened in shock at what she read. "De X'Hal!" she reached over and tabbed the communication panel on her desk. "Pe va Vern'a, klevana Kemach Kim'r."

"Healer, to what do I owe this honor?"

"Captain, I have been doing some research and I just received an alarming piece of information on what the Empress has been looking at on our medical database. I am sending you a copy now." The older woman's fingers moved with surprising nimbleness over the keys. "Look at the access addresses, I believe it is not only the Empress that is looking."

Kim'r sighed worriedly, "I fear you are correct, Vern'a. What in X'Hal's name have they been looking for over the last month?"

"I believe I may have an answer, Captain. I am sending you the digest of my research, along with a reminder that Koriand'r was in close proximity to a primary pulse from a large engine going critical."

"How certain are you of this, Healer?" Kim'r asked a moment later when she finished reading over the information.

"How certain to I have to be, Captain? She is the first survivor of a core breach. I had cautioned both her and Lord Galfore against her not coming home for observation. The pattern of what they have been inputting for their searches bears out my findings."

Vern'a listened as Kim'r's sigh came over the speaker. "Very well, I shall contact, Vido'an Robin and see if I can get any answers from him."

"I thank you for your confidence, Captain. I pray to X'Hal that we will be able to help."

Far across space, on a blue and white swirled planet someone else was watching a video monitor. The scene was the same young redhead floating in the air above a roof. Her left arm extended, hand glowing brightly green and pointed at a dark haired young man in black and gray armor. He had his left arm pointed toward her, a device on his wrist glowing red. They held that pose for a moment, then Starfire lowered her arm cooling her star bolt followed almost instantly by Robin doing the same.

The scene flickered and changed to what looked like a bombed out structure with a large circular pit in the middle. All the Titans, save Raven, were there and Starfire turned and she and Robin embraced for a moment then Robin hurried off. The picture faded and the person who had been watching picked up a newspaper page from the console. It was from what he termed the gossip section and the article with the largest headline was the one that had caught his attention.

"Has the Tamaranean temptress captured Robin's heart?" he read softly to himself as he looked at the accompanying photo, showing the two arm in arm at the scene of the high rise fire.

"I never thought you would ever find any useful information in that section of the paper, sir."

"Indeed, old friend, but I learned a long time ago that information can be found in the most unexpected of places. You are certain that Robin received the package I had you deliver?"

"Absolutely, sir. As I told you the young lady was not Starfire, but another of her race. Do you think he viewed the tape?"

"No question of that. Once he knew it was from me he couldn't help himself but to view it if for no other reason but to try to get more information on me."

The tape in question was indeed being viewed but not for the first time and with only Robin as the viewer. The scene was a news studio with it's anchor desk. A blonde woman wearing a navy blue blazer was facing the camera and the words "Jump City Beat" was projected on the screen over her left shoulder.

"I'm Tami Wilder, and today's Jump City Beat has a wider view today as we have exclusive footage from the high rise fire scene yesterday," she said and the picture switched from her to a video showing a cheering crowd. The camera quickly panned over to frame Robin and Starfire as Star walked over to Robin and put her arm around his shoulders. A moment later Robin's arm went around Star's waist. The reporter's voice continued on as the tape was paused. "From this reporter's point of view, it appears as though a budding romance has been going on in Titan's Tower. An unconfirmed source has revealed that Robin and Starfire are indeed a couple, but wouldn't comment any further. In other news. . . . . "

The screen went black for a moment then an all to familiar masked face appeared on the screen. "Sloppy, Robin," Slade said. "And here I thought you wouldn't do anything to endanger your friends. You might as well have painted a target on her. I hope you realize that there is now a price of sorts on her pretty little head, and yes, my bid has been placed as well."

The screen went black, and Robin turned slightly in his chair at the small sound from behind him. He sighed softly as he saw that Starfire had simply turned over in her sleep, and he smiled as he felt what she was dreaming of through their bond. Realizing that there was nothing more to be learned from the tape, he shut down his computer and went back to bed. He settled in and sighed happily as he felt Star slide closer to him, her hand slipping up to the middle of his chest as he lay on his back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Starfire was worried. In and of itself this wasn't much of a cause for concern for the rest of the Titans. Starfire always worried. She worried about Silkie getting into her Zorka Berries, or about if she was feeding Silkie correctly, but most of her worries were about Robin. About their relationship, about his getting enough sleep, about how he obsesses when he's on the trail of a criminal, and that worry doubles when the criminal is Slade.

But this time Robin, and the others shared Starfire's worry, because for the first time any of them could remember, Starfire was worried about . . . .Starfire. Robin and Raven were the two Titans' most closely associated with what was worrying their Tamaranean team mate. Raven because of the bond she opened with her, and because Starfire was her closest friend. Robin also shared a bond with Starfire through the crystal she had given him on her welcomed return from Tamaran after being gone for almost a month, and believed dead for a very short time. Another reason Robin was so closely enmeshed in her problems was because they were bonded, or as they say on Earth, married.

It started out innocently enough. A couple weeks after she had returned from Tamaran, she and Robin had taken a stroll through her garden. Afterwards they were sitting on the sofa in the common room sipping hot chocolate, when Robin noticed an odd look on her face.

"Star, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I am not sure, Robin. When did we come in from our walk?"

After a short question and answer session with Robin and Raven it was revealed that Starfire had "lost" about twenty minutes.

The next instance was almost two weeks later when they had been going through the obstacle course. Starfire had just finished her run but she continued flying and nearly hit Beast Boy with a star bolt.

Robin and Raven both felt that Starfire had good reason to be worried about herself, as Cyborg and Beast Boy were thinking some very unfriendly thoughts about her at the moment. Believing that Starfire was in her room, Cyborg had called the rest of them to the table in the common room.

"What are we going to do about her?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Cy, but if we're going to discuss what's been going on with Starfire, she should be here."

"You don't know what I mean?" Cyborg asked incredulously. "Robin if it wasn't for whatever you made your cape out of, you'd be up in the med-lab being treated for some very serious burns, if you survived getting hit by a star bolt that powerful ."

"Rob, it's not like we're thinking of lynching her, but she's getting outta control, dude."

Starfire stood to one side of the doorway to the common room. The only thing that made her comfortable with doing the eaves dropping, was that she could feel Robin and Raven's approval. Cyborg's comment to Robin brought the memory of the fight with Cinderblock they had finished just over two hours ago. Well most of them had. She still shivered when her mind replayed the image of Robin, laying face down on the ground, his cape still smoking from her star bolt. Her original explanation was that he had somehow gotten into her line of fire and she had accidentally hit him, but the video that Cyborg had taken during the fight had proven otherwise.

Robin had awakened in the med-lab finding Starfire at his bedside, as usual. What was unusual was she looked absolutely consumed with guilt. "What happened?"

"Robin, I truly do not know," she replied tearfully. "We were fighting Cinderblock, and I fired some star bolts to distract him so Raven could use her powers to immobilize him, and the next thing I know, both you and Cinderblock were laying on the ground."

"Raven and Beast Boy took down Cinderblock," Cyborg said as he entered the room. "She took you out."

"What! Star, what happened?"

"As I said, I truly do not know. I can think of nothing that would cause me to attack you, my husband."

Robin sat up and gathered her into his arms. "Kori, it's alright. Whatever has been bothering you the last month we'll figure it out, together."

Starfire's attention was brought back to the present, by Robin's echoing those words, only meaning that the Titans would help her with her ailment.

"Rob, we've been trying for almost three weeks, and she's getting worse. We're no nearer knowing what's wrong with her. Even that Psychiatrist, Chase Meridian that you had come out from Gotham and Doctor Benson are in the dark."

"This arguing is pointless. She's our friend, and she needs our help."

"And she's going to get it, Rae. Right guys?"

Whatever Cyborg and Beast Boy were going to say was cut off as Starfire made her presence known. "Robin, do not argue for me any further. Much as I do not like the idea of this meeting going on without my being here, Cyborg and Beast Boy's concerns are valid." Robin watched as she stepped to the table, and placed her hand on it. "I am removing myself from the active duty, until such time as I have regained your trust."

The four of them looked in shock as Starfire's hand left behind her communicator. "Now if you will excuse me, I am gong to the roof to do some thinking, and I wish to be left alone, fellow Titans."

Cyborg noticed that Robin was surprised at what Starfire had said. "Rob, what is it? Why does her going to the roof to think bother you?"

"It's not that, Cy. It's what she called us. Not friends, but fellow Titans. The only time she has ever addressed any of us that way was when we were marooned on that strange planet. After I upset her, by saying that she wasn't my girlfriend."

"It's not like I don't like her anymore Rob, but.. . . ."

"You don't trust her enough to fight beside her."

"Can ya blame us Rae? The first time she had an accident with her star bolts, she almost hit me, and the last time she nailed Robin."

Robin stood up angrily. "Well she's removed herself from active duty, so you won't have to worry about that again."

"You heading for the roof?"

"No, Beast Boy, I'm heading to my room to do some more computer searches to try to give her the privacy she wants."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A while later, Robin pushed back from his computer desk as his terminal chimed, letting him know that it was nearing sunset. '_Two hours,_' he thought then sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to relax his racing mind. "Star?" he called through their bond. "May I come up and share the sunset with you?"

"Are you sure you trust me that much, Robin?"

"Kori, pe ensura shu que ne itera."

"I wish I could trust myself with your life," she said sadly. "Raven, will you please join us?"

"Hey, Star," Robin said softly as he came up beside her. His smile faded as she ducked under the arm he went to put around her shoulders and moved away from him. "Kori?"

Starfire didn't turn to face him, but continued to look out over the bay. "Are you not going to join with the others and send me away?"

"Star, no one wants you to leave, least of all me."

"But you still do not trust me."

This time it was Robin's turn to take a step back, his shock clearly written on his face.

"Starfire, you know better than that," Raven's voice said as she phased up through the roof. "If anyone trusts you it's him. Why else would he defend you even after he's seen video of you shooting him with one of your star bolts?"

Starfire turned and the two girls stared at each other. Starfire's emerald green ones faintly glowing with her anger at those she had thought were her friends. Raven's amethyst ones unusually soft with compassion and her desire to unravel the mystery of what was troubling her friend. Both could feel the hurt and feeling of betrayal Robin was feeling due to Starfire's words. Raven ignored it, focusing on Starfire, and Starfire simply ignored it. The redhead was first to break the staring contest, glancing over at Robin. "If he trusts me as you say, he will give me his crystal."

Without the slightest hesitation, Robin stepped over to her and pulled the green glowing crystal from under his shirt, his eyes locked with hers, "Pe ensura shu que fetan co pe ensura shu que ne itera, mathad."

Under other circumstances Raven would have rolled her eyes at Robin telling anyone else that he trusted them with his life. One reason she was glad to have a mental bond with both Starfire and Robin was that when they spoke Tamaranean to each other she picked up the feelings behind the words and didn't need her translator. Another reason would come into play shortly as once Robin was far enough away from his crystal he would no longer have his bond with Starfire. Raven and the others had seen the video that Slade had sent and they all felt that it for the best that there was some way to keep track of where Starfire was and Robin's bond with her fit the bill nicely. If she was going to take the crystal from him, the mental bond she shared with the Tamaranean would have to do.

"Now you will tell Raven to sever her bond with me."

"That I can't do, Star. Raven is her own person, and her bond with you is something I have nothing to say about. It's between you and her." He watched intently as she turned her back on him as he spoke, her fists clenched.

"Is that what you really want Starfire? Have you lost your trust in me as well, Shalay'fa?

Robin noticed the when Raven spoke the word 'Shalay'fa' that Starfire's back seemed to stiffen for a moment, then she turned to face them. '_I see it Rae.'_ he thought to her as they both noticed a difference in her expression. It now seemed more relaxed, friendly."

"No. . . . .no, Raven, I trust you. Why do you ask, and why do I have Robin's crystal?"

"I asked because you told Robin to tell me to break our bond."

"I did? But. . . ."

"Star, you asked me to give you my crystal, as proof of my trust in you."

"I. . . . .would not do that," Starfire said, her voice shaky and confused. "You are my shokala, my husband and before that you were my shalocfa. My trust in you is absolute as I know yours is of me." she took the chain with Robin's crystal on it and refastened it around his neck, then simply slid her arms down and drew him into a hug. "I do not doubt what you are telling me as I know that you would not lie to me." she pulled back just enough to look Robin in the eyes. "I will be sleeping in my own room tonight, my husband, and I will be removing my own crystal as I have much to think about. No Robin, it is not that I do not trust you to not intrude in my mind, but more the other way around." she added quickly, feeling his fear that she was pulling away from him. "I must think of this on my own, to sort out my own feelings and with our bond I would be too sorely tempted to use your help, but this is something I must do on my own."

"Co shu delina, mathad, as you wish, beloved." He watched as Starfire flew up over the edge of the roof, and down.

"Robin these memory losses are bothering her deeply. She's terribly confused right now, and wants to sort out her own feelings without your influence."

"I know, Rae, I'm just having a hard time convincing my heart of that."

"Well I'm sure you have some thoughts of your own to sort out."

"Thanks, Raven." He watched as she sank down into the roof, then he stood looking at the lights of the city as they flickered in the distance. "You think she's that dangerous, Cyborg, that you spy on us?" Robin turned and watched Cyborg step out from behind the stairwell door structure. "Or were you hoping to catch us in a moment?"

The big Titan rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Robin, it's just. . . . "

"Just what, Cyborg? Do you honestly think that she would knowingly attack me? For pity's sake she's pulled all of our butts outta some close scrapes before. How can you think of her as a threat?

"Four words, Robin," he replied softly. "I don't love her. Man, your love for her is blinding you to the facts."

"The fact is that she's got something medical or psychological wrong with her, Cy. I'm certain of that. She's taken herself off active duty so she won't be going on missions with us, so she can concentrate on getting better, thanks to your distrust." He glared at the titanium Titan for a moment. "Are you thinking of asking her to leave the Tower?"

"I won't lie to ya, Rob. Her lapses or whatever ya wanna call em are getting more frequent, and she's getting so she doesn't trust us. Is it going to take her turning on one of us to make you see the light?"

Cyborg stood his ground as Robin crossed angrily to him and stood almost nose to nose with him. "I just hope your trust in Bee is better than it is in Star, or your relationship won't last," he hissed, the quickly turned and stormed off.

Cyborg stood there a moment, stunned by what he just heard. He started to wonder what relationship with Bumble Bee, but realized that Robin was observant enough to see that he and the leader of Titans East were close, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to get closer, and hoped that she did as well. Just as he was heading for the stairs he felt the fist drops of what was forecast as a near freezing rain that would last most of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Starfire lay in her room, staring at the ceiling. It was close to midnight and she had gotten no further into sorting out her racing thoughts. She knew that the events that Robin and the others had told her about were true and had happened. She had faith in Robin's not lying to her at least, and she could not dispute the video that showed her shooting Robin in the back. She looked longingly over at her vanity as she thought of Robin, at the crystal where it lay with it's chain and the medallion he had given her. As much as she wanted to take solace in Robin's steady logic and reasoning she knew it would not help her, as she already knew his feelings on the matter. "What Cyborg told him is true, his love for me is making him ignore the evidence before him." she muttered to herself.

She thought back to a conversation she and Robin had about her sister.

"_Kori, I am your shalocfa, responsible for ensuring your safety, and part of that is trying to make you aware of. . . .blind spots, and I hate to say it, but your sister is one I can't do anything about."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Kori, you're right when you say that because she's your sister you owe her a certain loyalty. All I can do is make you aware that she is also power hungry, manipulative, and wants you out of the way of her regaining the throne."_

"_You seem most certain of her guilt."_

_Robin struggled to find a way to put his thoughts into words in such a way that wouldn't hurt her. "I am, for two reasons. One, I have to be. No let me rephrase that. It's not that I'm certain of her being guilty, but she's the most likely suspect right now, and with her past actions I can't take the chance that she's innocent and leave her an opening to hurt you. The other thing is that I'm not in love with her, and I hope I have a more objective view of her."_

"_So this blind spot is caused by my love for her?"_

"_Exactly, as I would have one if you were to commit a crime. To be honest, even if I saw you in the act, I would deny the truth even in the face of a very convincing argument."_

"He knows that he would have difficulty seeing me as something other than the woman he loves, and even with that knowledge, he can not see me as a danger to him." Punching her mattress in frustration she quickly stood up. "X'Hal, **I** can not see myself as a threat to him!" She stood there a moment, using the techniques Raven had taught her in addition to the ones that had been part of her training on Tamaran to calm her mind, then reached a decision. "I need a change of scenery; maybe that will help." She crossed to the window, opened it, then flew out into the night. She shivered slightly as the cold rain hit her, but she continued on. _'It is not like this is Siberia or the North Pole,'_ she thought to herself as she crossed the Bay. A short time later, she touched down in the garden section of the park and went among the trees, taking advantage of their branches providing shelter from the rain.

She walked over to a fallen tree, and was going to use it's trunk as a seat, but she turned when she heard the snap of a twig. "Who is there?" She called, then gasped when the answer presented itself. . . .five times over. _'Slade bots!' _she thought nervously as she took a defensive stance, shuddering as she thought what Slade would put Robin through if he was able to capture her. As she watched one of the bots approach her, she was stunned to find that all summoning her star bolts resulted in was a dim flash at her hands, _'X'Hal! I am seyla, and not from veka serum!' _ Focusing on the problem at hand, she quickly drew the collapsed bo staff from it's clip in the small of her back, and mentally cursed herself when her hand touched the empty spot where her Titan communicator normally was. She quickly realized that she was in deep trouble, as she now had no way to call for help. "I am here to meet with Robin, away from the Tower, and we do not wish an audience. You will leave, now."

Seeing that her comment had either been ignored or not even heard, she slowly backed up as the five bots advanced on her. She extended the staff and gave a quick twirl, then slammed it into the nearest bot, knocking it into it's neighbor, and they went down in a tangle of arms and legs. She pivoted to her right, to more squarely face the remaining three and again swung her staff, connecting with one of the bots with enough force to knock it's head off. Blocking blows from the other two bots, she almost sighed with relief as she felt her confidence in her fighting ability bring her strength back to its proper level. Also helping in that was her realizing that it was her confusion over current events that had left her powerless.

Looking around quickly, Starfire saw that the first two she knocked down had gotten back up and joined to two bots that were still operational. The small grove of trees soon rang with the sound of Starfire's staff as she parried blows from the bots, and struck back. Eventually, though, with odds of four to one, Starfire began to tire, and she found herself on her back as one of the bots had gotten past her guard and knocked her down. Managing to keep her grip on her staff, she quickly scrambled to her feet, connecting with a sweeping kick hard enough to cause one of the bots to fall to the ground, sparks and smoke pouring from it's joints. Her heart sank as she watched the remaining three bots spread out, making it difficult for her to keep track of all of them at once. Suddenly, she realized that there was another of the Titans who would be just about as upset at her plight as Robin, although she wouldn't be as demonstrative. Along with that realization came the knowledge that she DID have a way of calling for help. Jumping back after trading blows with one of the bots, she quickly calmed her mind as much as she could and sent a mental shout. '_RAVEN! SHALAY'FA I NEED YOUR HELP!'_

Back at Titans Tower, three things happened at once. Raven was floating above her bed in the lotus position, focused on her mantra, calming her emotions from the days turmoil. Robin lay in his bed, but wasn't anywhere near going to sleep. Without warning he sat bolt upright in his bed his eyes wide. "Starfire!" he shouted. At the same moment Raven snapped out of her trance as Starfire's cry for help came loud and clear across their bond. Before either of them had time for any other reaction, the Titan alarm went off, bathing their rooms in red pulsing light and shattering the silence with the alarm.

Moving quickly, but appearing not to be rushed, Raven stood and settled her cloak about her as she moved to her door. She came out into the hallway just as Robin and Cyborg did.

"Cyborg, what is it?" Robin asked, knowing that the titanium Titan was plugged into the Towers mainframe while he slept.

"Slade bots at the park, Rob, and I can tell by the look on your face that you already know they're attacking Star."

"Grab Beast Boy and follow as fast as you can."

"Robin, you can't take your R-cycle," Raven protested as he headed down the hall to the elevator.

"She's right, Rob, the temperature has dropped further than they forecast and it's just above freezing out there. You hit an icy patch on the road and you'll wrap yourself around a telephone pole."

Robin was about to argue when Raven suddenly gasped and grabbed her right shoulder as she sank to her knees. "Raven what is it?"

"It's Starfire," the dark Titan groaned as she got back up. "She's been hurt. . . . .badly."

The only warning Starfire got about the Sladebot behind her was the whine of it's laser pistol building up to discharge. As she twisted to avoid the shot she knew was coming, she threw her staff like a spear, striking the bot in the middle if it's chest, and it fell to the ground, sparking in it's electronic death. Unfortunately, it's laser discharged first.

Starfire gasped in pain as she fell to the ground, her upper left arm and shoulder feeling as though they were on fire. She clenched her teeth against the pain as she was roughly pulled to her feet by the only remaining bot, and couldn't hold back the grunt of pain as it pushed her against the trunk of a tree "Let. Me. Go!" she demanded, then looked in shock at the face of the robot as a brief spark occurred around it's face plate and it fell away revealing a small video screen. Her shock quickly turned to horror as Slade's face appeared.

"Hello, Starfire. If you're seeing this it means that one of my groups of robots has managed to find you away from all your friends and has managed to overwhelm you in combat. Don't be too upset by that, girl, as the smallest party of my bots was five." Starfire bit back the urge to protest and demand she be released, as she realized the message was recorded. "You should save yourself the further pain and humiliation of losing further combat and surrender. That is, of course, your choice."

Starfire realized that Slade had made one mistake in making her listen to this message, and she now knew how Robin felt at simply hearing the name Slade as she felt the familiar rush that accompanied her righteous fury, along with the green tinge that her vision took on as her eyes glowed. "I choose this!" she shouted, then blasted the bot with her eye beams. Finding herself with nothing to focus her attention on, she almost dropped to her knees as a wave of pain washed over her. "Got . . . . .to. . . . .get. . . .away." she muttered as she heard a rustling in the brush to her right. After a moment's concentration, she managed to find her unbridled joy and flew off.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Titans, spread out," Robin ordered as he and the others came out from Raven's aura. "And be careful."

Unfortunately they were the noise that Starfire thought was more Sladebots approaching. The four of them spread out and began searching for their teammate.

"Dues! Over here!" Beast Boy called a moment later and the others quickly went over to where he stood.

"This looks like the place," Cyborg said as he shone his shoulder light around, revealing the ground littered with bot parts.

"And Starfire was here," Robin said as he pulled the staff from the torso of the now inoperable bot.

"Looks like she won."

"I'd call it a draw, Rae. Over here, Robin. Looks like Raven was right, Star's hurt." Robin and the others looked at the dark red stain on the tree Cyborg was standing next to. "My medical scanner confirms that it's Star's, and she must have left here just as we arrived in the park because it's still warm."

"Raven, any idea on where she is?"

Raven had been trying to track Starfire through their bond, and she sighed knowing that Robin wasn't going to like the answer she was going to give him. "Only that she's somewhere northwest of here. She lost consciousness before I could pinpoint her location any better." She watched as Robin tried to distract himself from his anger by trying to visualize the battle from the location of the bot parts.

"We've **got** to find her," he said with forced calm.

"Robin, all I can tell you is the general direction she is from here, that's it. Finding her would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. A very large haystack." Because of her searching for Starfire, Raven's mental shields were down and she was surprised by how quickly Robin reigned n his burst of anger. She could sense him visualizing it and placing it into a very sturdy chest that was slammed closed and locked, a process that was repeated for several, progressively larger, sturdier chests ending up with the last one being placed into a room and a very strong looking door closing it off.

On the outside all Robin did was take a deep breath and blow it out, then he started snapping out orders. "Raven, you take the warehouse district, Cyborg the docks. Beast Boy, cover as much of the northwest sector of the City as you can in hawk form."

"Dude, are you serious!" It's freezing out here and raining!"

"And Starfire is out there somewhere, hurt and unconscious! We've got to find her before someone else does. Titans, go!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Three hours later, Robin was walking along the shore of the bay for the second time. After getting reports from the others that they had found nothing, he reluctantly agreed with Raven, that the chances of them finding her in the dark were slim at best and he told them to return to the Tower.

"Robin, you're soaked through and shivering badly," Raven said as she materialized beside him. "You're not going to be able to help Starfire if you get sick. Let me take you back to the Tower so you can dry off, warm up, and at least relax seeing as I know you won't sleep." She watched as Robin looked off into the distance.

"I won't quit, Raven. I **won't** give up on her."

Raven not only heard the grim determination in his voice, but the desperation there as well. "No one is asking you to, Robin, but in your current condition even without my powers I could beat you easily, and you know it." she reached out an put her hand on his shoulder. "Starfire would be the first to remind you that you're only human."

"I know you're right Raven, but, God help me I can't get the thought of what Slade might do to her if he got his hands on her, out of my head."

"If he does, we'll get her back, just like we got you back," she said, and Robin noticed that her eyes were now glowing faintly red. "He will not keep her, that I promise you."

Robin sighed heavily, "Alright Rae, let's go home. We'll start again at first light."

"And we'll find her Robin."

Just after the two vanished, there was a flash of lightning that lit up the area, illuminating a purple and lavender lump at the base of one of the supports to the bridge.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Robin and Raven had no sooner materialized in the common room of the Tower, than Cyborg got their attention. "I was just about to call you, Robin. This recorded message came in a little while ago."

They all watched the screen as Cyborg tapped some keys on the computer, and Raven could feel the rise in Robin's anger as Slade's face filled the screen. "Good morning Titans, or should I say Titans minus one," he said then his face was replaced by a video of the fight between the bots and Starfire. "She put up a better fight than I think even you could manage, Robin, although I do admit to seeing your fighting techniques in hers. I thought you would make an excellent teacher. As you can see, she defeated the bots I had set against her, but not without some cost. I don't know what hospital she's recovering in, but I look forward to a rematch when she's ready."

"I managed to trace the signal, but only found this," Cyborg said indicating a large metal box on the table.

"Well at least we know he doesn't have her."

"Yet, Raven. Cyborg, leave that where it is, after I get out of these wet clothes and grab a shower, I'll come back and take a look at it."

A short time later the others had gone to bed, and Robin was alone in the common room. His hot shower and dry clothes had helped, but as he sat on the couch with a blanked draped over his shoulders sipping hot chocolate he couldn't stop shivering. What bothered him the most was that he was beginning to believe that Raven's parting comment before she went to bed was right, and he wouldn't be ready to join the search in a couple of hours, as he felt the beginnings of a headache and had sneezed a few times. He was very surprised to hear his communicator beeping. He opened it, then tapped some keys on the keyboard beside the TV, and a woman's face with brown hair and eyes filled the screen.

"Greetings, Highness."

"Greetings, Comm. . .er, Captain Kim'r. It's good to hear from you, but forgive me if I believe you have bad news."

"Actually, Highness, I'm hoping to get some news and information from you. As the Royal Physician, Vern'a has been alerted as to what you and the Princess have been looking at in our medical database, which raises a question. Is Koriand'r well?"

"To be honest, I'm not to sure how to answer that, Captain. She's shown some odd behavior and had some memory lapses over the last few weeks, and we've been trying to see if there was anything in the medical database to compare symptoms. This evening she left the Tower and we can't find her."

"How is it you can not find her, Commander? You know how to use the crystal."

"She removed hers, Kim'r. She needed some time completely alone to sort things out. I assure you that we will find her. Can you tell me what **is** bothering her?"

"Vern'a will be here momentarily, and I offer my apologies, Highness, and ask if you are well."

"We've been out searching for her and it's just above freezing out there and has been raining," Robin explained, then sneezed. "I think I may have chilled myself enough to make me sick."

"Shel'b and Chr's will be contacting you shortly to offer their help. Robin, I caution you against refusing this assistance. I have full confidence in your team and your relationship with Koriand'r, but she will not be herself and you will need the extra help."

"Agreed, Kim'r, and thank you for convincing me to do that."

"Shavota, Vido'an," Vern'a said as she entered the picture. "I have been monitoring the audio part of this transmission, can you be more specific about her condition?"

Robin took a deep breath, then explained as fully as he could what had been gong on with Starfire. He even used the computer and sent his copies of Doctor Meridian and Doctor Benson's files, including the scans that Cyborg had run on her. "Can you give us any idea what's wrong with her?"

"You remember that she was still aboard the VILTHUR'L when it's engines gave off their primary pulse before the breach explosion, correct?"

"Yes. That's when the camera went dead, due to the radiation from the pulse. She's taken some pride in reminding us that she survived because Tamaraneans are able to endure radiation that would kill one of the rest of us."

"Indeed, and she is correct in that. However, the radiation emitted by the core in that pulse is of a type that we have never had the opportunity or need to study its effects on us. Princess Koriand'r has the unique distinction of being the first survivor of being exposed to that burst of radiation. I have been exploring the results of it for the last few weeks."

"And?" Robin prompted, hating how doctors never seemed to be able to give short, concise answers to a question.

"What you have described is just the beginning stages of a mental aberration that will worsen until she receives treatment."

Robin almost growled in frustration. "What, exactly, will she be going through, Healer?"

"Her usual restraint and discipline will slowly fail and she will do things that she normally would not. She will no longer be the caring compassionate person you know, but will become quite the opposite."

"Whoa!" came Cyborg's gasp and Robin turned to see the titanium Titan behind him.

"Something to add, Cyborg?"

"Remember when you went with Slade to find Raven and you left Star, Beast Boy and I to keep Trigon occupied?" he asked, and Robin nodded. "Well Trigon made us fight our evil twins."

"What Titan Cyborg speaks of is somewhat similar to what the Princess will be going through. Inside all of us is our baser, more primal instincts. The ones we do not act on because our moral discipline and judgment prevent us. She will not become evil, but will have her morality slowly stripped away. Those base instincts are part of who we are, as is how we deal with and control them."

"I see," Robin said, a little preoccupied. "How long do we have to treat her, and what will happen if that time passes?"

"There is no time limit, Highness; the treatment can be given at any time, but in less than a week she will not listen to anything you will have to say to convince her what she is doing is wrong. Galfore, Kim'r, and myself will be in Earth orbit tomorrow afternoon your time, roughly thirty-six of your hours from now."

"I look forward to seeing you, Captain," Robin said and the screen went black.

"Robin, I'm sorry man. I know you're right about Star, but I didn't know it was this bad. We'll find her."

"I know, Cy. I just hope it's before Slade does." He was silent for a moment then looked out the windows at the city's skyline as the horizon beyond it was getting lighter with the approach of the dawn. "Cy I. . . "

"I know, man. I know how you feel about her, and I was outta line too. We cool?"

"Yeah," Robin replied and they touched fists. "Let's get the others up and get going."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A dark figure stepped from the shadows underneath the bridge over the bay, and looked down on the young Tamaranean that lay on the ground, curled up in a ball to try to preserve her own heat. "We've really gotta stop meeting like this, kid,"

"Robin, ne shokala, pe kisarla ne keeva ron."

"I hope your English improves when you come to your senses, kid. I can't understand a word you're saying," Red X said as he picked her up. He was shocked at how cold her skin was compared to the last time he had helped her. He tapped the buckle of his belt and vanished.

"You need to get warmed up," X said as he lay Starfire down on a cot, and covered her with a blanket. He lifted her head and shoulders up, to put a pillow under her head and he gasped when he saw the burned skin on her upper arm and shoulder. "But first I've got to put a bandage on that." He quickly got a gauze compress and some rolled bandage, and started dressing her wounds. He was totally surprised when she reached up with her good arm and cupped the side of his face with her hand.

"Robin, kovat shu, loneva."

"You are going to hate yourself when you really wake up if you remember any of this," he said as he took her hand from his face, and set it back down on the blanket. Once he finished bandaging her, he stood up and looked down at her for a moment as she lay there shivering. "Well I guess you're not going anywhere for a while," he muttered and vanished again. A few minutes later he reappeared with a couple bundles in his arms. He quickly peeled the blanket off her and unwrapped one of the bundles which turned out to be an electric blanket. Moving quickly, he tucked it around her then plugged it in and turned it on. He sighed a few minutes later as her shivering subsided. "Now to get some sleep myself," he muttered, then settled into an overstuffed chair. A short time later, he was asleep.

How long he was asleep, he didn't know, but a sudden shouting jolted him awake.

"Shu vaya naf ashari na rolare!" he heard Starfire shout as she writhed on the cot. "Pe va Vidak'an Koriand'r du Tamaran!"

X didn't know what she was saying, but he could tell by the tone of her voice that she was angry, so he kept his distance, not wanting to be hit by a stray star bolt. He tried talking to her in a soothing voice, but it was as if she couldn't hear him, and she cried out once and went still when the cot tipped over and spilled her to the floor.

He quickly reset the cot, and picked Starfire up to put her back, and he was stunned to see how quickly the bandage on her shoulder was turning red. He gently lay her on the cot and stood up. "Time for me to get some real help for you."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Jennifer Ramsey absolutely hated these twenty four hour ER rotations, and she was glad to know that with her seniority, they happened only occasionally. Last night had been really rough. In some parts of the city the rain had actually frozen on the road and Saint Mary's had it's share of trauma patients from the resulting car wrecks. As she walked down the hall she rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ease some of the tenseness there, and she became alert as she heard a familiar name mentioned on the news coming from the TV in the waiting room. She turned it up when she saw Robin's face filling the screen.

"I am asking the people of Jump City for their help," he said. "While in space recently, Starfire was exposed to some strange radiation. She is not a danger of spreading the radiation, but her exposure is causing her to act differently. Please if you see her pick up the nearest phone and press Star zero, zero four. When the phone beeps, hang it back up and leave the area."

The picture of Robin faded, "That was the message given to us by the Teen Titans," the news anchor said, then repeated the procedure for calling in if you saw Starfire.

"Hey, Jen, this came for you."

"Thanks, Loni," the brunette said taking the folded sheet pf paper. She unfolded it and read the message written in crisp handwriting.

_Nurse Ramsey,_

_As I know I can trust you, I have sent this letter to tell you that Starfire has been attacked and badly wounded. However, we don't know where she is. I hope to see you this evening to more fully brief you, so until then carry equipment with you so that you may be able to give emergency aid to her if we call._

_Robin._

Jennifer reread the message then put it into her purse. She went back up the hall and opened her locker in the nurses lounge. She took several items out of it and then took the key from the hook and placed it in her pocket.

"So ends a day in the salt mines," Loni Adams said as she entered the lounge. "These twenty four hours shifts are murder."

"Tell me about it, Lon," Jennifer agreed. "I'm going to soak in the tub then get some sleep."

"See you tomorrow." Loni called as Jennifer left.

Jennifer walked out the front entrance to Saint Mary's and paused as she looked both ways before crossing the street to her car. It had been a long twenty four hours, and she was looking forward to getting home and soaking in a hot tub with her favorite bath oil, then getting some sleep, like she told Loni. She put the key into her car door and unlocked it, but didn't get the chance to open it as she was grabbed from behind.

"I'm not going to hurt you, so don't struggle," a male voice said from behind her. Male but odd sounding. "I need your help, Nurse Ramsey."

"Hey! What are you doing!" Jennifer heard Harvey Daniels, the hospital security guard shout.

"Time to go," her captor's voice said and she closed her eyes in anticipation of being hit so that Harvey would be distracted from chasing him as he checked to make sure she was alright. Instead of being hit, she felt a cold wave pass over her, and then she felt a little dizzy. "Like I said, Nurse, I need your help. There's your patient."

Jennifer opened her eyes and found herself no longer on the roadside by her car, but in a strange room that appeared to be an office in an abandoned warehouse. She gasped when her eyes fell on the small cot that had been set up against the far wall. "Oh God! Starfire!" she was surprised when she felt herself released, and she quickly crossed over to the young woman on the cot, her professional care clicking in when she noticed that the redhead didn't move when she called her name. She knelt beside the cot, and touched Starfire's forehead, and almost jerked her hand back. Starfire's forehead was almost to hot to touch. '_She's got a fever. But how?'_ she thought, then turned to her captor. "You!" she gasped recognizing Red X. She stood and stormed over to him, her brown eyes narrowed in anger. "What did you do to her?"

"I haven't done anything to her. Except find her beneath the shore side of the bridge that goes over the bay two days ago, soaked through by that freezing rain we had. She's been mumbling something in a language I can't understand. Like that."

Jennifer turned as Starfire started mumbling again. "Robin, pe aparo fas weledo che kumara. Nevana, ne shokala."

X watched as Jennifer went back over and knelt beside the cot. "Athani, Koriand'r. Shu vata serana." She sighed in relief as Starfire seemed to calm down.

"Looks like I grabbed the right person for the job," X said. "You understood what she was saying?"

"Most of it, and just so you know, all I just told her was to be calm and that she was safe."

"What was she saying?"

"She's upset about leaving Titans Tower, and she wants Robin to forgive her for it."

"So they had a lover's spat, eh?"

"Have you seen the news today?"

X gestured with his arm, "Does it look like I've got all the amenities of home?"

Jennifer looked around the room and had to agree with him. There was the cot that Starfire was on, a chair, and a folding table with a laptop on it. No radio or TV. She rummaged around in her bag, to call it her purse wouldn't do it justice, as it was actually a small flight bag. A moment later she took out the copy of the Jump City Daily News that she had gotten from the machine in the hospital lobby. The entire top half of the front page was taken up with a photo of Robin and one of Starfire along with the text of Robin's message. While X was reading it she took her stethoscope and BP cuff from the bag along with a note pad and pen, and started taking her patient's vital signs.

As X read the article he watched Jennifer working. He noticed the efficiency of her movements as she took Starfire's vital signs. He guessed she would be about twenty-five years old, and her dark brown hair was currently up in a bun to keep it out of her way. From when she demanded to know what he had done to Starfire he knew her eyes were brown, and vividly mirrored her emotions, as he had seen them flashing with anger, and now, concerned. He also noticed the worried expression on Jennifer's face, which grew deeper as she wrote the numbers down, especially the blood pressure. It was then that she decided to take a look under the bandages on her arm and shoulder.

"My God! Why didn't you take her to a hospital like last time!"

"Let's just say that I'm protecting my investment," X replied calmly. "You may not know this, Miss. Ramsey, but no pun intended, Starfire is one hot little commodity right now. There's quite a few people out there who will pay very well to get their hands on her."

Jennifer closed her eyes for a moment and took a quick breath. "Fine, we'll have this conversation later. Right now I need you to take me back to the hospital."

"You really expect me. . . ."

"I promise you that I won't alert anyone to your being there, but there's some things I need to get. Chief among them is at least three units of blood for her."

"You expect me to trust you?"

Jennifer glared at X, her fists on her hips. "Listen, you idiot! You want to protect your investment, and I want to keep Starfire from dying from hypovolemic shock. Since you're my only way to wherever here is, I can't do that if you get captured. I have no idea on how much blood she's lost, but I can barely feel her pulse and her blood pressure is way low. I don't think you'll get as much money for a corpse, and do you really want to be the person responsible for Starfire's death?"

"Alright. But I'd better not regret this."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A short time later, Jennifer was walking down a hall in the hospital, a medium sized box in her arms, neatly packed with the equipment she needed, and the three units of Starfire's blood on top.

"I know you don't love this place that much, Jen."

Jennifer turned toward the source of the voice and her heart sank. She saw the recognition in the blonde's eyes as she recognized the coding on the pouches of blood. "Lisa, don't ask, because I can't tell you anything."

Lisa Trapman looked quickly up and down the hall, checking to see if anyone was watching. "You know where Starfire is?"

"In all honesty, Lisa, no I don't, but I'm helping the person who has her," Jennifer whispered back as they walked down the hall. She balanced the box on her left arm, and reached into her pocket with her right hand. "Give this to Doctor Benson as soon as you can. Those were Starfire's vitals when I first looked at her, and a brief description of her injuries."

Lisa took the papers and her blue eyes quickly scanned the numbers. "Holy cats! Her BP is that low? I can see why you're taking three units with you."

"She'll probably need all of them. Listen, I've got to get back to her, so don't follow me or you'll spook him."

"Right, I'll call Linda at home and read her these over the phone."

"Thanks Lis. Let everyone know that I'm alright, and that I'm safe, okay?"

"I'll do that. You just take care of Starfire and yourself, ya hear?"

"Loud and clear."

What Jennifer didn't notice was that Lisa followed her from a short distance. She opened her phone and held it so that it's camera looked into the room Jennifer had ducked into, and she took the picture. Moving back down the hall, she looked at the image she had captured. Recognizing the caped outfit from a newspaper photo, she gasped and quickly dialed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

A green wolf loped along the shore of Jump City Bay, nose in the crisp air trying to catch the scent of it's quarry. The day had dawned bright and clear, but bitterly cold as the temperature hovered just a few degrees above freezing. The stiff breeze that ruffled the wolf's coat didn't cause it the least bit of discomfort. Over the last three hours, Beast Boy had bounced back and forth between being a hawk and wolf in hopes of catching either sight or scent of Starfire. So far he hadn't had any luck. Morphing into human form, he pulled his communicator out, knowing it was almost time for Robin to call for a status report. He opened it, and listened to Cyborg and Raven give their reports, both negative. _'Dude, Raven sounded even more depressed than usual.'_ he thought to himself. "Beast Boy here, still nothing."

"Well, keep searching," Robin snapped over the channel.

Beast Boy sighed as he closed his communicator, and hung it on his belt. "No duh, Boy Wonder." he took a deep breath as he reminded himself that Robin was not warm in the Tower, but searching with the rest of them, despite Raven warning him against it. To a point, he knew how Robin felt, only he didn't have to imagine the girl that was his friend being in Slade's power. Taking a quick look around, he sighed again and changed back into a wolf and headed up the shore. He had only gone a short distance when his ears pricked forward, and he rapidly sniffed the air. In less than a stride the wolf became a cheetah, as it ran full tilt toward the bridge. In seconds Beast Boy shifted to human form and yanked his communicator from his belt, quickly opening it and pressing the button that would call the others at the same time. "Dudes! I'm by the bridge over the bay, and I've found something! You better get over here!" He listened as his friends answered the call, and he felt a little queasy at what he had discovered. He was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder, gently pulling him away.

"Beast Boy, relax. Take a deep breath."

The green changeling nodded and followed Raven's advice. "Raven, I've never seen a puddle of blood before. Do you think she's. . . . ."

Raven looked over Beast Boy's shoulder, and closed her eyes as she steadied her emotions. "I don't think so, Gar. Yes that's a lot of blood, but I don't think it's enough to have killed her."

Just then, the T-car screeched to a stop with Robin on his R-cycle almost slamming into the back of it. "Robin, it's not Starfire, but you'd better brace yourself."

"Whoa!" Cyborg gasped when he saw the small red puddle. There was a dry spot on the pavement that showed the outline of someone laying in the ground with their knees drawn up to their chest. Getting over his initial shock, he used the medical scanner in his arm to analyze the gruesome scene.

"Well?" Robin asked his voice barely above a whisper.

Cyborg could tell that he hadn't kept the worry from his face when he saw Robin's reaction when he looked at him. "It's Star's," he announced. "On the good side, it's pretty diluted with the rain from last night. On the bad side, I've got no way of telling how much has been washed away."

They watched as Robin turned his back to them and took a few steps away, and Raven was surprised to feel a hand on her arm, keeping her from going over to him.

"Give him some time Raven. He knows we're here for him, but he needs a little time right now."

Raven looked over at Robin. He had his left hand against the bridge piling as he looked out across the bay, his right hand clenched tightly into a fist. With a sigh she turned toward beast Boy, pulling her cloak around her to ward off the chill of the wind. "You're right Beast Boy, thanks. From me and from him."

"Raven, I can see where she flew in, and landed, but there's no blood trail outta here, which means someone found her, bandaged her up then took her away."

"Okay, we're going to fan out again, and search every inch of this city if we have to."

"Robin, we all want to find her, but we have no idea where she might be, and we can't go around breaking into every building to search."

"Raven, we're going to do everything we have to, to find her."

"Man, I hate to say it, but Rae's right. Star didn't leave here on her own, Robin. Much as you don't want to hear this or admit it our best course of action is to go back to the Tower and wait for whoever has her to contact you with their demands."

"I . . .am. . . .**not.** . . .giving up on her."

"Dude, none of us are, but ya gotta admit we've got bupkis on figuring out where she is right now, and Raven's right, we can't search the whole city."

Whatever argument Robin was going to give was cut off by his communicator beeping. Arching an eyebrow in curiosity he opened it.

"Robin, is that you?"

"Doctor Benson? How did you get one of our communicators?"

"Starfire gave it to me right after she started seeing me about her memory lapses. Listen, that's beside the point. I need you to come to the hospital; I know who has her!"

"We're on our way," Robin said then closed his communicator. "Titans, go!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A short time later, the Titans entered Saint Mary's hospital to see Linda waving them over to where she stood next to a door. "Come on in here, and I'll tell you what I know."

They followed her into the conference room, and all but Robin took seats around the table. Linda waited a moment and Lisa Trapman entered and stood beside her at one end of the table. "Just so you know, Nurse Jennifer Ramsey was kidnapped at eight o'clock this morning. The hospital security guard watched her go to her car and she was grabbed and before he could do anything more than demand to know what her assailant was doing, they vanished. I viewed the security camera tape and he isn't hallucinating. One frame she was there the next she wasn't."

Lisa cleared her throat when Linda finished, and continued. "A little less than an hour later, I came across Jen walking down the hall with a box in her arms. Before I could ask her anything she told me not to because she couldn't tell me anything. On top of what she had in the box was three units of blood, and I saw the coding labels, and recognized the coding as the blood being Starfire's. As we walked down the hall we talked in whispers, and she gave me a piece of paper with Starfire's vital signs written on them and told me to pass it on to Doctor Benson. Despite her telling me not to, I followed her to a small conference room, carefully put my camera phone around the corner and took this shot."

The Titans all looked at the display on the phone. It showed Jennifer standing next to Red X and he was about to put his hand on her shoulder.

"Did she seem scared, or had she been hurt?"

"No, Robin. She was concerned that if Red X had felt that Jen had talked to anyone that he would leave her behind, and Starfire wouldn't get the treatment she needs."

"And from what I read on the paper that Jennifer gave Lisa, I'd say that Starfire is going to need that blood pretty badly. Here's a list of things that she took. In addition to normal bandaging materials, and the blood, she also took the healing lamp that Vern'a let us have."

Robin took the papers from Linda, and read them over, and Linda could tell that Robin had some idea of what Starfire's vital signs should be, as his face paled when he saw them. "Thank you, Doctor Benson. If you hear from Nurse Ramsey, Red X, or Starfire. . ."

"You'll know about it in less than a minute, I promise you."

Thanks again Doctor," Robin said and the Titans filed out of the room. "We've got work to do."

"Robin, I don't know if Doctor Benson noticed or not, but you're running a fever."

"I'm fine, Rae. We've got to find all the sources of xenothium and put then under surveillance for when X tries to get some to power his suit."

"Dude, Cyborg can scan for that from the Tower."

The green changeling pulled up short as Robin whirled on him. "If you don't want to help find Starfire fine! Go! I'll do it alone if I have to."

"Robin, you gotta chill, man. We all want to find her, but BB's right, I can scan for the xenothium from the Tower then we can go all at once."

"Robin, I know how you feel. . . " Beast Boy began, but was cut off by Robin grabbing a double handful of his shirt, and pinning him to the wall of the hospital.

"You have no idea how I feel! You've never lost anyone close to you." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Robin regretted them. All the more from the look that crossed Beast Boy's face.

Beast Boy brought both of his hands up and broke Robin's hold on him, his face a study in fury and hurt. "Fine, Robin. You just go on believing that you're the only one that's had something bad happen to you! I bet you don't even know what today is."

"Beast Boy. . . ." Robin called after his retreating form as he stormed off.

"Now I know you've got a fever, Rob. You're not thinking clearly."

"Why? What's so special about today? It's a day, just like any other."

"Not to him it's not," Raven said softly. "It's the anniversary of when we fought Slade and his apprentice in the caverns below the city. It's the day he counts as the day he lost her."

"Terra," Robin whispered, the impact of his words to Beast Boy finally sinking in. "But that was over two years ago."

"Would the day be any less important to you if Starfire had died? Now, are you going to go back to the Tower willingly or not?"

Robin saw the white glow in Raven's eyes as she asked the question, along with the black at her hands, and he chose the lesser of the two evils. "What about Beast Boy?"

"That depends if you go peacefully, or not."

Robin sighed heavily, "Alright I'll go peacefully, but under protest."

"Good to see you listening to reason."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was just after sunset, and Beast Boy was sitting on the rocks on the shore of Titans Island, skipping rocks into the bay. He was surprised when one of the stones beside him suddenly turned black and flew out into the bay skipping seven times before plunking into the water. "I know your powers are different, Raven, but I also know you could move earth almost as well." He watched as Raven settled down onto a rock beside him.

Raven sat quietly, not knowing what to say to start the conversation as she thought over the conversation she had with Starfire while they were waiting for Beast Boy and Robin to wake up after the fight in the VELANCE'R's landing bay.

"_I see I was mistaken before, when I talked with you when you were in the hospital." Starfire said, referring to when they talked about Beast Boy's feelings for her._

"_Starfire, I thought. . . "_

"_I am not looking into your mind, Shalay'fa, it is just because it is foremost on your mind right now. Do not try to tell me that it is just concern for a team member."_

_Raven sighed, knowing that she couldn't hide it from Starfire. "No you were right, at least at that time," she relented. "But you got me thinking. Ever since he led us against the Brotherhood of Evil, and Terra refusing to remember him, he's changed. Then you had to go and tell me what he did at the building fire." She was silent for a moment, and looked over at Beast Boy. "You're right you know. He does have deeper feelings for me, other than just friendship," she admitted and almost regretted it when she saw the look on Starfire's face. "Star, I know what you're going to say, but it's not 'glorious'. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not Terra. You saw how much she lit up his life. They had fun together, did things together. Much as I don't like her, she was good for him. They had things in common."_

"_As do you," Starfire said simply. "You are both Titans, and you have both had your hearts broken."_

"_Star, you can't build a relationship on that little, or something negative like that."_

_Star looked down at Robin, her fingers tracing across his forehead. Much as she hated to admit it, this was the one thing she liked about his getting hurt. It was the one time she was able to see him at peace. Stirring herself from those thoughts, she looked up at Raven. "I happen to know that you can."_

For once, she didn't feel any awkwardness from Beast Boy, as she usually did. She was about to say something, but he beat her to it.

"Raven, I know he's stressing over Star, but why does he have to act like such a jerk?"

"Well, for a while at least, he won't be acting like anything. Cyborg and I managed to get him into the med lab, and he's got a fever. Not very high, but enough that he's out of action until it breaks." The two were silent for a moment, looking out over the bay. Beast Boy looked over when he heard Raven sigh softly. "Gar, I'm sorry."

Beast Boy's brow furrowed in confusion. "You're sorry? For what? For what Robin did?"

"No. For what _she_ did."

"Oh," Beast Boy said, and skipped another stone with a heavy sigh. "Ya know, the one question I haven't been able to answer myself is which hurt more. Her betraying us or forgetting about us."

"And by us you mean you and her."

"Yeah. I couldn't even get that right."

"Huh?"

"The reason I left the Doom Patrol was because I got tired on Mento telling me I couldn't follow orders, then yesterday I couldn't talk Cy outta having that little meeting. I mean, yeah, she's having some troubles, but it's Star. She's one of us, and if you get down to it, she's the reason we all got together. We owe it to her to stand by her just as she would stand by one of us."

"And I want to thank you for that, Beast Boy." The two turned at the unexpected voice, surprised to see Robin standing there. "And I want to apologize. It's just that I'm so focused on finding Starfire that I shut everything else out."

"Much as I like your coming to your senses, what are you doing out of bed?"

"I told Cyborg that I wanted to talk to Beast Boy, and he agreed."

"Really?"

Robin looked at Raven's disbelieving face, and shrugged his shoulders. "I told him I heard a tapping sound from the T-car's engine on the way back here. When he went to check I slipped out."

Just then, Raven and Beast Boy's communicators came to life with the tone of a distress beacon. Raven took hers out and opened it. "What is it, Cyborg?"

"It's Robin. He's gone. Probably decided to go out searching for Starfire on his own."

"Relax, Cyborg, he's here with Beast Boy and me. We're bringing him back right now."

"Man, I hate being sick and in the med lab," Robin muttered, then sneezed several times.

"Robin, it's okay, you just caught me at a bad time. And don't worry, we'll find her and get her the help she needs."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Robin slowly opened his eyes, his head pounding as he took in the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows of the med lab. Turning his face from the glare his heart skipped a beat when he saw a familiar looking redhead standing a few feet away. He blinked his eyes a few times to try to clear his vision. "Starfire?"

"No, Highness. I told Titan Raven that you might think I was her, but they had to leave to check something out, so I had no choice but to stay."

"He is awake?"

"Yes, Chr's, only just now."

"Aside from a headache, how do you feel, Highness?"

"A little wrung out, but alright."

"Good, you need to get up and make yourself presentable. The ROHA'N reached orbit an hour ago, and a shuttle will be here shortly with Galfore's party, including Vidok'an Nie'l."

Robin nodded and with a groan managed to get to his feet. "Thanks for that information, Chr's."

There was a beeping sound and Shel'b pulled her communicator from her belt and answered it. "Understood, Lord Galfore."

Robin crossed over to a cabinet, and rummaged around until he found a bottle of headache pills. Shaking two into his palm he went over to the sink and got a paper cup of water and washed them down.

"The shuttle is about to land. Chr's and I will bring them to the common room while you get ready."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A short time later, Robin entered the common room of the Tower and saluted in turn, Galfore, Kim'r and Nie'l. "I'm sorry I wasn't on the roof to greet you properly."

"That is of little consequence, Highness. I am glad to see that you are feeling well."

"His fever broke about two this morning," Raven said as she and the others entered the room.

"Excuse me a moment," Robin said to the Tamaraneans and turned to the other Titans. "What's up?"

"A motion sensor at one of the xenothium sites tripped, so we went to check it out," Cyborg said.

"And?"

"Sorry, Rob, false alarm. The xenothium hadn't been touched so it must have been a rat or something."

Robin nodded, and turned back to their guests. "Vern'a, I know you have figured out what is wrong with Starfire, but have you figured out a way to cure her?"

"This is a derivative of veka serum, with some other drugs mixed with it," the healer replied holing up a syringe with a blue colored liquid in it. "When injected, it will render her unconscious and will restore the chemical balance in her brain. There is one other side effect, however."

"When she wakes up she will be seyla for twelve hours," Kim'r said.

Robin nodded then crouched down so he was eye level with Nie'l. "It's good to see you, Nie'l.

"You will address me correctly, shovaka," the ten year old said sternly.

"Pe aparova," Robin said, dropping to his right knee. "Shavota, Vidok'an Nie'l"

"Nie'l, remember this is your father," Galfore said.

"If he was my father, he would have protected my mother, and my sister!" Nie'l snapped back, then turned back to face Robin. "I hate you!"

Nie'l may have been only ten, but being Tamaranean provided him with considerably more strength. Everyone in the room gasped when his right cross knocked Robin across the room. Several hands reached out to grab him, but he eluded them and flew over to where Robin was just starting to sit up. Pushing Robin to the floor with his left hand, his right pulled back glowing faintly red.

There was a tense silence for a moment, then Robin spoke. "Do what you think you must, Nie'l. I won't fight you."

"Then you feel that I am correct, you should have protected them better."

"No Nie'l. I won't fight you because Koriand'r wouldn't want us to."

"How would you know what she would want?"

Robin got to his feet, then offered his hand to Nie'l. As he helped him up, he looked over at the others. "Can we have some time alone?"

"Of course, Robin," Galfore said. Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg were already heading for the door, and Shel'b said that she was going to give the others a tour of the Tower.

Once the doors closed, Robin took a seat on the couch and motioned for Nie'l to join him. He watched as Robin removed his neckpiece and pulled two chains from under his shirt. "I do not recognize the medallion, but that is a bonding ring, and two halves of a Shinrah Crystal."

Robin nodded as he held the plain ring of Tamaranean steel, more precious to him than if it had been made of gold. "More importantly, two halves of the same crystal," he said. "This one was Starfire's." He reached behind his neck and undid the clasp. "I want you to hold onto it until we get her back." He smiled softly at the look on Nie'l's face as he reached out and took the crystal.

"Why is it glowing? I do not think of you as my father."

"Close you eyes, relax your mind, and find out." Robin watched as Nie'l obeyed and the image of Starfire sitting beside Nie'l's bed formed in his mind. He smiled softly as he recognized the lullaby she was softly singing. _'It's glowing because of the common bond we share of our love of her,' _he thought to the youngster. Several scenes flickered through their minds; Starfire and Robin dancing at Kitten's prom after Kitten had been arrested. Nie'l walking with her through the garden at the palace. Starfire's pride in Robin's abilities after he taught her to use birdarangs, and again as she accepted him as a warrior. Nie'l waking up after being sick and seeing her beside his bed.

'_I'm glad to see that you recovered from the virtha bite."_

Suddenly the images changed to one where Nie'l and Sher'l being told of their parents death. With it came the knowledge of how they grew closer. From Robin's point of view as he ran toward Starfire and saw Sher'l throw herself in front of the star bolt, saving her princess, but sacrificing herself. _"Shalocfa, you will take care of her, yes?"_

"_Yes little warrior, to best of my ability."_

"_Then she will be safe," she said smiling, then her body shook with a chuckle._

"_Wa. . .what do you find amusing?" Robin choked out._

"_Little I may yet be, but I have not earned the title of warrior."_

_Robin's hand went to his mask, lifting up the bottom edge letting the build up of tears slide down his cheeks. "I am sure that the Princess can find a special circumstance and make an exception in your case. Remember I have her favor."_

"_I remember Robin; my brother and I thank you deeply for that._"

Robin blinked his eyes, stinging from the almost tears from reliving the moments before Sher'l's death. When his vision cleared he saw Nie'l looking at him, crying. "There was nothing I could do for Sher'l, much as I would have traded places with her."

"I apologize for my earlier actions, shokata. X'Hal I miss her so much!"

Robin gathered the youngster into his arms as he cried. "I know you do, Nie'l." A short time later Nie'l pulled back, and Robin handed him a handkerchief from his utility belt. "Nie'l I promise you one thing, we will find Koriand'r and bring her back. I give you my word as a warrior, a Titan, and as your father."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Shel'b growled in frustration as she picked herself up from the padded floor for the second time. She picked her staff up and shook her right leg, trying to loosen up the muscle that was throbbing from the hit that had swept it from under her, dumping her onto her back. Blowing out a deep breath, she took a defensive stance, facing her opponent. She wasn't sure which bothered her more, the amused smirk Chr's was giving her, or the disappointed scowl she was getting from Robin. As she watched Robin mirror her stance, she realized it was Chr's's smirk. _'Robin at least has cause to be disappointed with my performance. Why in X'Hal's name did Kim'r choose us to be the ones to distract Robin from Koriand'r's' absence?'_

"Focus, Shel'b. I know you can do better that that."

"You would know, being the one who has been training with me." Shel'b glared at Chr's, as he chuckled at the anger and sarcasm in her voice. "Za shu tarkan shu vata tura, menia e gishala, loneva."

Shel'b noticed that Robin lowered his staff, and took a step back. "Is she right, Chr's? Do you think you're better?"

"Than her, yes. That is not a boast, Highness, simply the truth. It is yet to be seen if I am better than you."

Robin gave Chr's a lopsided grin as he reached for the remaining staff on his belt. "As Shel'b said, Commander, come prove it." Robin tossed the collapsed staff to him and almost smiled at the way he looked at the eight inch log device. "Squeeze the center gently."

Chr's nodded in appreciation of the engineering that went into the weapon as it extended to it's full four foot length. "I know the limitations on my power, Robin, what are the parings?"

"You want to take a break, Commander?" Robin asked, then smiled as Shel'b didn't realize that he was talking to her. "Commander," he called stretching the word out.

Shel'b chided herself as she blushed when she realized that Robin was talking to her. "My apologies, Highness, I am not yet used to being a Lieutenant Commander." She glanced over at Chr's and saw the half grin on his face. "No, thank you, Robin. I am not yet tired enough that I wish to stand aside."

"Yet you call for reinforcements."

"Actually, she didn't, Chr's. She simply got tired of seeing you standing over there enjoying yourself watching her get knocked off her feet by me."

"Thank you, Robin."

Robin saw the flash of anger in Chr's's eyes as Shel'b took a defensive stance, with Chr's copying her a moment later. "Shel'b, stand down for five minutes, then you can join us."

"That is assuming you last that long."

"If he does, you will take my turn at kitchen duty this evening."

"And if he does not?"

"Then I will trust to your honor to set your own reward."

Chr's looked at Shel'b as if she had lost her mind, then smiled softly as several ideas ran through his mind, "A he shavek, Shel'b. To your honor."

Seeing that Chr's was now ready, Robin took his position opposite him and twirled his staff. "Begin," Shel'b called out, and the two combatants circled each other.

"You plan on wasting the whole five minutes circling, Chr's?"

"If we were using a proper weapon, I would have attacked already."

Robin gave Chr's a cocky grin, knowing that most Tamaraneans thought that a staff was only useful to prop up old folks, and as a weapon of last resort. _'Time to teach him otherwise, and bring him down a peg or two,'_ Robin thought. "Then allow me," he said and went on the offensive, raining blows on Chr's almost too fast for him to block. Seeing an opening, he swung his staff up and over, and tapped the end of it against Chr's's cheek, and stepped back.

"First blow to Robin."

Chr's nodded a curt salute to Robin, and resumed his ready stance, followed by Robin. Thinking to copy Robin's moves, Chr's went at him with a flurry of blows. He growled in frustration as they were effortlessly blocked. His eyes widened in shock as Robin parried his last blow then spun his staff, hitting his own between his hands, knocking both of his arms straight up. He managed to maintain his grip on the weapon, but not his balance as Robin swung his staff up and over then down, sweeping his legs out from under him, knocking him flat on his back, then impact jarring him bad enough that he lost his grip on his staff.

"Pa rochena! Highness, I surrender!" Chr's shouted as Robin brought the other end of his staff down so that it stopped inches from his throat.

"It seems we have an interesting problem, Commander," Shel'b said as she walked over to them. "It was not Robin that failed to reach the five minute mark, but you."

Chr's reached up and took that hand that Robin offered to help him up. "Then we continue," he snapped, and jerked on Robin's hand.

As Robin rolled with the fall, Chr's grabbed his staff and, with a yell, charged him. His look of triumph quickly faded when he found that Robin was not only back on his feet, but ready to counter his attack.

"Chr's!" Shel'b shouted as Robin barely ducked under a blow that was meant to hit him in the head. Even from twenty feet away she heard the staff whistling through the air.

Chr's's return stroke caught Robin on the left shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Realizing that his opponent was now behind him, and no longer sparring, Robin swept his staff back, feeling his hit solidly against Chr's's side. Rolling to his feet, he swung again, knocking Chr's's staff from his hands, and kept the staff moving the other end catching the Tamaranean under the chin, and knocking him out cold.

"Robin!" Shel'b screamed as Chr's fell to the floor. She watched as Robin blew out a breath, and collapsed his staff.

"Shel'b, I'm sorry, but. . . "

"He left you no choice, Robin. From the moment he charged you I could see that he was no longer sparring, but meant to retaliate for your slight to his honor."

"But there was no slight, Commander. Robin simply beat him in honest combat."

"I know this, Captain, that is why I offer my apologies to Robin on his behalf."

"I'm sorry, Shel'b, but that will have to come from him. You can't take responsibility for someone else's actions."

Kim'r smiled softly as Robin tensed into a defensive stance as Chr's moaned then opened his eyes.

"Robin. . . . . .Highness, I wish to apologize for my behavior."

Robin offered him a hand and helped him up. "Care to explain why you tried to take my head off, Commander?"

Chr's surprised Robin by snapping to attention before him. "I have no explanation or reason, Highness. You had defeated me in fair combat."

"It was my statement, was it not?" Shel'b asked. "My comment on how you did not fare as well against him as you thought you would."

Chr's looked over at Shel'b and saw the disappointment and shame tingeing the anger in her eyes. "Shel'b. . . . .mathad, he is ruthasha, for him to defeat me. . . . ."

"Yes he is not from Tamaran, but he is a most skilled warrior, and has only gotten better having practiced with our people. I meant no taunt, loneva. Only to state a fact that you were the one to surrender before the five minute mark, and that caused a problem with our wager."

"Wager?"

"Yes, Kim'r. Shel'b and I were sparring, and I had taken her down twice while Chr's watched. She noticed the smug grin on his face, and got tired of being his source of amusement."

"She told me that if I thought I could do better to come and prove it. I agreed to Robin's conditions of combat, and squared off against him. Robin told Shel'b to stand down for five minutes, then join us. I did not believe that Robin would be able to last that long, but I was the one that did not make it to the five minute mark."

"And when Shel'b pointed that out to you, you continued the combat even though you had surrendered," Kim'r said. "Commander, you have been trained for better."

"Yes, Captain," Chr's said, then turned to Robin. "I present myself for reprimand, Highness."

"Well, for starters, you will take Shel'b's turn at kitchen duty this evening. Add to that the following; for the remainder of your time on this planet you will train and work with the Titans."

Chr's's jaw dropped. "Highness, that is not a punishment, that will be an honor."

"One that I hope will change you opinion of. . . .ruthasha," Robin said, the last word leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Jennifer snapped awake, and instinctively looked over at her patient. She sighed softly when she saw that Starfire seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and she shifted in her chair. The last three days had been grueling. The first due to a twenty-four hour shift at the hospital, and the last two as she tended to a rapidly recovering Starfire. Her greatest relief was that two units of blood were all that was needed to bring her BP up and strengthen her pulse. Fortunately, the healing lamp that she had brought from the hospital was doing it's job, and the wounds on her upper arm and shoulder had closed and healed without infection. Her next relief came when her patient's fever had broken early that morning. Her attention was drawn to the cot, as Starfire shifted on it, and moaned softly.

"Shalay'fa, lamaska na."

Jennifer leaned forward in her chair, listening intently hoping to catch the answer to the questions that Starfire's mumblings raised. _'Who would she call shalay'fa, and why does she need help?' _she wondered. _'Maybe now I'll find out.'_

Starfire moaned again, this time with more strength, and a moment later her eyes fluttered open. Jennifer could plainly see the confusion on her face as her eyes focused, and she tried to figure out where she was. Before Jennifer cold say anything, the redhead tried to sit up but gave a small cry of pain as she sank back onto the pillow.

"Easy, Starfire. You're safe, and you're going to be alright."

Starfire turned at the sound of Jennifer's voice, and she visibly relaxed when she saw her. "Nurse Ramsey, what has happened to me, why am I not at the Tower or in a hospital, and where is Robin?"

Jennifer sighed with relief at the young woman's curiosity, taking it as a good sign of her mental state. "Okay, three days ago you were found unconscious and badly injured at the base of one of the supports of the Bay Bridge. You were soaked through and had all the indications of having been there for about six hours in near freezing conditions. Right after you were brought here, I was . . . . .recruited to help get you healthy."

"You mean you were kidnapped, taken against your will, and that would mean that I have been captured. X'Hal, Robin must be beside himself at my stupidity for leaving the Tower."

Jennifer was slightly surprised that Starfire was able to read between the lines of what she told her. "Starfire, he's beside himself alright, but with worry, not anger. He and the other Titans have been turning this city upside down searching for you." She handed Starfire the paper that was now two days old. "Do you have any idea on what caused the injury to your shoulder?"

Starfire didn't answer right away as she read the article in the paper. "I was attacked in the park by five Sladebots. I managed to destroy them all, but one managed to get behind me, and shot me with a laser pistol. Do you know how Robin knows that it was radiation that is causing my memory lapses?"

"Not exactly, but I do know that there are some Tamaraneans at the Tower now. They arrived yesterday, according to the news." Jennifer took out her BP cuff and stethoscope and quickly took a set of vital signs, noting them down on the clipboard she had been using as an improvised chart. She knew that once she got out of here that Linda would want to enter the information into Starfire's chart. "I'm a little late asking this, but how do you feel?"

"Weak, and a little dizzy if I try to sit up, and my left shoulder aches slightly." She gasped softly when she realized that her neckpiece had been removed and something else.

Jennifer remembered the night she had been brought here. Knowing that Starfire's injury could extend under the metal neckpiece, she enlisted Red X's help in removing it.

"_Okay, now slide your right hand down so your hand is between her shoulders, and support her head on your forearm," she instructed. "Good, now use your right hand to lift her right shoulder. Good, now hold her like that for a moment." She felt under the lower edge, and found the catch she was looking for and with a soft click the front of the armor split open, and, with X's help she removed it and set it aside._

"_What is it?" Red X asked, seeing the surprise on her face._

"_It's just that the wound extends further than I thought," she lied. 'Where's her crystal?' she wondered, then noticed the chain that trailed under Starfire's top. She told Red X to get some more bandages, and while his attention was diverted she quickly slipped the chain off and pocketed it._

"This what you're looking for?" she asked, holding up the chain with it's two rings.

"X'Hal, yes," Starfire sighed as she took them. "Why did you have them?"

"When we removed your neckpiece, I saw that you didn't have your crystal, but these instead, and I didn't think it would be a good idea for our captor to see them."

"I believe you are correct. Who is our captor?" Starfire asked, handing them back to her.

"Red X," Jennifer replied, then frowned at the relaxed smile on Starfire's face. "Starfire, he's not going to release you once you're better. At least not without a price."

"What do you mean? Red X is a friend. He brought me to the hospital before."

"But he didn't this time, Starfire. He showed me the e-mails he's be receiving on his laptop. He's accepting bids from other criminals for you. Two in particular are in a bidding war for you."

"I see," Starfire said, and thought for a moment. "Do you know what they call themselves?"

"One only goes by the name Wilson S., and the other calls himself Nightwing. He's the one who has top bid right now at one and a half million dollars." Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How can you smile at what's happening?"

Starfire motioned for Jennifer to lean in close, then whispered in her ear, "Nightwing is Robin. It is a name he will call himself in the future."

"If you say so."

"I do, and I ask that you hold on to this for me as well," Star said slipping a ring off her left hand. "It would be best if Red X, and whoever wins the bid not see this on my hand." She saw the questioning look on Jennifer's face and continued. "The news people have it wrong. Robin is not my boyfriend, he is my husband."

Jennifer gasped as she took the plain metal ring. "Why don't you wear the gold one that's on the chain?"

"Last year I had seen a ring in a jewelry store that I liked and Robin purchased it for me as a birthday gift. He was so very pleased when he saw how happy it made me, but I had to hide it from him that two days after he gave it to me I was wearing it during combat practice, and the heat from my star bolts melted it. The ring I just gave you is made of tempered Tamaranean steel and can withstand that heat. Also, it is the traditional ring given by bond mates to each other."

Jennifer nodded, and placed the rings and the chain into a small purse. "I'll keep them safe for you until you want them."

Starfire nodded silently, and Jennifer could tell that Red X must have just materialized into the room by the expression on her face. "I understand that I have you to thank for my being here."

"I'm only responsible for your being in this place, cutie. Your being attacked you can credit to your boyfriend."

Red X smiled behind his mask. He had had fevers before and he knew full well how lousy Starfire felt and she still managed to growl in anger at his calling her 'cutie'.

"Robin is not my boyfriend. I demand that you return me to my friends."

"Now is that any way to thank the person who saved your life, twice now. I'm sure there is something in your hero's code of honor that says you have to repay debts."

"What you know about honor! You plan on selling her to the highest bidder!" Jennifer shouted. "Don't tell me," she added when she saw the look on Starfire's face.

"It has nothing to do with my being a Titan. Nurse Ramsey, is he correct and his actions saved my life?"

Jennifer looked at Starfire as if she had sprouted another head. "You can't be serious!" she protested, meeting Starfire's gaze. "Yes, damn it, if he hadn't brought you here to warm you up, then me to treat your wound, yes you would have died."

"As a member of the Royal Family of Tamaran it is a matter of honor." Starfire said, then her eyes lowered, the defiance gone from them. "I owe you my life, Red X, what must I do to repay you?"

"Don't look so glum, cutie. I promise you it won't be that bad. Besides, you've got a few days to get used to the idea, and so that you can recover and be at your best."

"I ask again, what must I do?"

"You're only going to help me with a couple of jobs I've got to do for someone. Jobs that will bring a lot of unwanted attention."

"No!" Jennifer gasped, "You can't ask her to do that! Starfire, he's going to make you help him steal something, by making you fight the Titans!"

"As I thought. But it is in repayment for saving my life, I have no right to place restrictions on what he may ask of me." Starfire said then looked up at Red X who could see the sadness in the emerald eyes. "I will do as you ask."

Red X knew he should be satisfied that he had maneuvered Starfire into this situation, but all he felt was an icy feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Things at Titans Tower had fallen into a regular routine. Robin and Raven still up before dawn and up on the roof, watching the sunrise. Robin found that this helped keep him sane, and he also noticed that Raven needed the stability as well. After that was breakfast, and training on the obstacle course. Shel'b had managed to hold her own, but Chr's quickly discovered that he was not nearly as well prepared for it as he thought, but was a quick learner. After the course, Robin would log onto his computer and check to see if there were any leads on either Starfire, Red X or Jennifer Ramsey, then they would hit the streets, searching by whatever means they had to try to find them. So far they hadn't.

"Yo, Chr's, good to see you shaved some time off your run."

"Thank you, Titan Cyborg. I think I may finally be getting the hang of this."

"You will not think so once we respond to a call, loneva," Shel'b said. "The obstacle course is good to find the limits of your powers, and show them to your team mates, but it has little practical use."

"That, we take care of in training room three," Robin said, referring to the extra large training room in the Tower, their next stop. "Raven, you're it today. Shel'b, Chr's the only restriction to your powers is use only quarter power bolts, and pull your punches, Raven, you know the drill."

"I still do not understand why you practice against each other, or the need for it."

"Let's just say that we've had instances where we've found ourselves in that type of situation."

Robin nodded his thanks to Raven as they entered the Tower. They had just gotten into the elevator when the alarm went off. In moments, they crowded into ops, and Robin furiously typed on the keyboard. "Double trouble. Plasmus is attacking a hazardous chemical recycling plant and Cinderblock is tearing up a warehouse in the tech sector." Robin thought for only a moment then rapped out orders. "Cyborg, you and Beast Boy head out to the recycling plant and slow Plasmus down. "Chr's, Shel'b, Raven and I will take down Cinderblock and join you. Titans go!"

Cyborg stopped Robin by the door with a hand on his shoulder. "You know what it means when those two are loose together, don't you?"

Robin's mask narrowed as did his eyes as he said one word in reply. "Slade."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A short time later, Robin, on his R-cycle, and the rest of his team flying arrived at the warehouse where Cinderblock had been reported.

"Well, he was here," Raven deadpanned as they saw several damaged buildings.

"What is this Cinderblock?"

"About ten feet tall, made completely of cement, and he has a nasty temper. He may not be very smart, but don't underestimate him, as he packs one heck of a punch."

"Robin, is that him?"

Robin looked in the direction Shel'b was pointing, and sure enough Cinderblock was heading toward them, and when he saw that he had been spotted he began to run.

"Chr's, get back here!" Robin called at the Tamaranean's retreating form. "We'll attack him as a team!" Seeing as he was being ignored, Robin called for the others to back Chr's up.

As they ran toward the behemoth, they watched as Chr's put down a barrage of star bolts and eye beams, which only served to make Cinderblock angry.

"Chr's, don't get so close!" Raven called, seeing that Chr's was getting within Cinderblock's reach. "Oh sweet Azar!" she gasped as Chr's was swatted out of the air. Thinking quickly, she used her powers and stopped him from slamming into the side of a warehouse.

"Raven!" Robin called, seeing that Cinderblock was making her his next target. Since she was concentrating on lowering Chr's to the ground, she didn't see him coming. Throwing a set of explosive discs at Cinderblock's head. He watched as he staggered as they exploded. "Over here, brick brain!"

Shel'b watched as Robin started running at Cinderblock, closing the distance rapidly. Suddenly she remembered the moves that they had trained on at the Tower. "Need a lift?" she asked as she flew up behind Robin. In reply Robin jumped into the air and extended a staff. Holding it with both hands above his head, Shel'b swooped in and grabbed it, pulling him into the air a little above Cinderblock's head level.

"Now!" Robin shouted, and he felt the thrill of freefall as Shel'b released him. "Rrrahah! Hah! Rah!" Robin slammed his staff into first the right, then left side of Cinderblock's head, then planted a kick as well, then dove for the ground, gratified to hear Shel'b giving her war cry as she dove in and delivered an upper cut and a right cross before darting out of reach.

Seeing that the juggernaut was reeling from the blows, Robin threw a couple of freeze spheres at his feet, coating the pavement with ice, and Cinderblock toppled with a earth shaking crash.

"Raven, Shel'b, Chr's, tie him up!" Robin watched as Raven used her powers to levitate some iron girders in, as Chr's and Shel'b used their star bolt power to quickly heat them so they could bend them around Cinderblock. Once they had him trussed up, they went over to where Robin stood, contacting the authorities to come take their captive off to jail.

"Robin, I . . . ."

"Forget it, Chr's, just don't let it happen again. While you're working with us, as I told Shel'b a while back, if I give an order, it will be obeyed at once. If you can't handle that, go back to the Tower."

"Understood, Highness. Now what is this. . . .Plasmus?"

"Cyborg, report?"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Thanks for the lift, BB! Cyborg shouted as he fell through the air, his sonic cannon firing, blazing holes in Plasmus's torso. Beast Boy, on the other hand, landed on the ground, morphed into a turtle shaped dinosaur, and swung his armored tail at the blob's legs, passing clear through, but succeeding at bowling him over.

The shots that Cyborg got off after that were greeted with large blobs of purple goo flying through the air, having been thrown by Plasmus much as Starfire throws her star bolts.

"Dude! This stuff is gross," Beast Boy complained as he and Cyborg picked themselves up from being covered in the goo

"Tell me about it," Cyborg groaned, tilting his head to one side, and thumping his head on the high side. Each thump resulting in a small gush of purple goo from his ear. Repeating the process for the other side he stood up and looked around. "How can something that big move that fast?" he asked no one in particular as he looked around at the now empty building.

Running through the large hole that had been made in the back wall of the recycling plant, they arrived in time to see Plasmus disappearing over the ridge, a large tank truck tucked under his arm. Hearing the tones from his communicator, he lifted his right arm.

"Cyborg, report."

"We couldn't stop him, Robin. He's heading north from here with a tank truck of something."

"Right. We're on our way. You and Beast Boy are going to have to slow him down. The water reservoir for the city is to the north of you. If he gets whatever is in that tank truck into the reservoir, he'll poison the entire city."

"Gotcha, Rob. We're on it. BB, let's go we gotta stop that thing from reaching the city's water supply!"

"Dude, how much of this stuff can I swallow before it makes me sick?" Beast Boy asked as he emerged from a puddle of purple goo, and spit out another glob of it.

"I don't know, but the cavalry has arrived!" Cyborg replied as he saw Robin and the others come up over the rise.

"Titans Go!" Robin shouted as he leapt from his R-cycle in mid air. "And be careful of that tank truck." He landed on Plasmus's back and planted a device that started beeping. "A little help!" he shouted when he realized that he was ankle deep in the ooze and couldn't jump free. Looking up, he reached out and grabbed the feet of the green pterodactyl that swooped in and he was pulled free. "Thanks, Beast Boy."

"No biggie," he replied and they looked back at Plasmus just as the beeping stopped. "Coollll," he added when Plasmus's entire torso turned to solid ice.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven chanted and the tank truck was surrounded by black energy and torn from Plasmus's grasp, and lowered gently to the ground.

"Shel'b, now!" Chr's shouted, and with one in front of, and one behind, Plasmus they each formed a huge star bolt which they launched at the same time toward the behemoth. There was a huge explosion when they hit, and purple goop went flying everywhere. When the smoke cleared, Prisoner 385901 lay on the ground, sleeping peacefully.

"Booya!"

"Nice, very nice," Raven said, sounding a little impressed.

"Dude, and dudette that was awesome!"

"Way to go team! Raven, can you levitate that tank truck back over to the plant complex?"

"Do not trouble yourself, Friend Raven. Chr's and I will carry it back over there."

"Sounds good to me," Robin said and they waited for the authorities to come and collect Prisoner 385901.

"Who's up for pizza!"

"Yes the traditional sacrificing of the pizza the Empress told me about," Shel'b said.

There was a tense moment of silence as they looked at Robin who then sighed, smiling sadly. "It is her favorite part of a mission," he admitted. "You guys go on ahead, I've got something I've gotta take care of first." He watched as the others headed across the street headed for the pizza parlor, then he turned to head up the street.

"Robin?"

"I'm okay, Raven. Don't ask me why, but I honestly don't think X is going to hurt Star. To be honest, I don't think, Jennifer Ramsey would allow it. I'll be there in less than five minutes." Raven didn't reply, but he knew that she had turned and went to join the others. Heading up the street, Robin turned into a building with the sign, 'Bits and Bites' above the door. He stood just inside, letting his eyes adjust to the dimmer light, then he crossed over to one of the terminals, and slid a credit card into the reader.

"Account active and accepted" appeared on the monitor, and Robin quickly started typing, the speed his fingers were hitting the keys drawing glances from a couple of the other patrons. "Access approved. . . . . Welcome Nightwing, current bid $2,500,000 by user Wilson S. Do you wish to place a higher bid? Y/N Bidding closes in 2:25" the last two numbers counting down the seconds.

Robin hit the 'Y' key, and typed in a dollar amount to raise the bid, and hit the enter key.

"Stand by, processing request. . . . .

Suddenly everything went black. The monitor, the lights, even the fans went off. Except for people groaning about the power failure, everything went silent. Except Robin's communicator, which started beeping it's trouble alert tone.

"Robin, it's Overload, he's blacked out half the city."

"Right, Rae, get the others and lets go."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Think you're ready for some solid food today?" Jennifer asked as she wrote Starfire's vital signs on the clipboard.

"You mean, I do not get to try the broth of tofu?"

Jennifer looked at Starfire in surprised amusement. She continued writing with a chuckle, "Patient still has her sense of humor," she muttered as she wrote the words in the comments section. After a day and a half of nothing but broth, Jennifer had stated that the only flavor left was tofu. "Do you think you're strong enough to stand and walk?"

"We will not know until I try."

"Okay then," Jennifer said, then watched Starfire sit up, then swing her legs off the cot. "Don't be ashamed to use my help or lean on me if you need to."

"Yes, Robin, I am not the stubborn like you."

Jennifer looked at her patient in surprise, and saw the matching look on Starfire's face change to sadness.

"I am sorry, Friend Jennifer. It is just that I am not used to anyone, but my fellow Titans seeing me like this."

"And I would say that it's Robin who is there with you when you first get on your feet. Oh, and thank you."

"Yes, you are correct about that, and although I do not know for what, you are welcome."

"Just now you called me Friend Jennifer, not Nurse Jennifer Ramsey. I'm thanking you for letting me be your friend. Do you want to make another lap or rest?"

Starfire looked in surprise when she saw that she had walked completely around the room. Pausing to take stock of how she felt, she compromised, "How about over to that chair? Then I will sit and take a short rest before coming back here."

Jennifer nodded, and stayed beside Starfire as she walked to the other side of the room. "Very good, you deserve the break, and this," she said as she helped Star to sit, then handed her a plain hamburger on a bun, and took another out of a bag for herself. "Red X brought these by right before you woke up. Hey, take small bites!"

"Sorry," Starfire said around the mouthful of hamburger she just bit off. She quietly chewed then swallowed. "I am surprised that Red X hasn't been around more, to gloat over his having captured me and gotten me into this position where I must help him."

Jennifer thought as she chewed her own mouthful. "You know, that is kinda strange. With that mask of his, it's impossible to see his facial expressions, but to be honest I think he knows you'd be uncomfortable having him see you while you're recovering, although why it would matter to him, I have no idea." She was silent for a moment as she watched Starfire pecking at the keys on the laptop. "Starfire, how can you be so calm about what's going on? I mean, X is going to make you help him steal something."

"Yes, I know, and in doing that I will have to fight my friends."

"And you're okay with that!"

Starfire was silent for a moment, "I believe the human term is the smaller of two evils."

"Close enough."

"I will be the one in control over what happens to them, as I know how to delay their response to Red X."

"What about their reaction to you?"

"Robin will be the last to confront me, of that I am certain. Cyborg will approach me first, and try to talk me into giving up, then most likely Raven will attack. Of the four of them, she is the only one I have any concern over possibly hurting me, unless they have another Tamaranean with them."

"Do you hear yourself? How can you be so. . . . .cold in describing how your friends, and husband, will respond to your attacking them?"

Starfire raised a hand to her head, rubbing at her temple. "I know I should not, but all I can see it as is a simple tactical evaluation. Their responses to my actions and my responses to them." She looked at Jennifer, her expression a mix of wonder and revulsion. "Friend Jennifer, I can envision the entire fight in my head. That is not unusual, but I find myself looking forward to the encounter."

Just then the laptop chimed and both women looked at it, and watched the words stream across the screen. "Access approved. . . . . Welcome Nightwing, current bid $2,500,000 by user Wilson S. Do you wish to place a higher bid? Y/N Bidding closes in 2:25."

They watched as the computer indicated that Nightwing was going to enter a bid. "Stand by, processing request. . . . " the display froze for a moment, then. "Connection from user Nightwing terminated, action not completed."

Both women looked up as the lights went out, and the radio that had been playing went silent. "There must have been a power failure downtown."

"Robin's bid did not make it before the deadline; X'Hal help me."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A few hours later, the Titans returned to the Tower. Defeating Overload was surprisingly easy. Raven used her powers to rip open a fire hydrant, and deflect the water stream at Overload. Chr's and Shel'b followed her example with their star bolts, then deflected the water stream with their hands. Robin, unfortunately, had been too close to a street light when Overload started shorting out, and he got a nasty electrical burn on his arm. Raven had used her powers to heal the burn, and the bright red welt no longer hurt. Even at it's worst, it didn't match the burning in his soul.

"Robin."

Robin stopped halfway between the door to Starfire's room and his. "Rae, I really don't want to talk about it."

"But you need to. Robin I can feel how it's eating you up inside. How did you let her down again?"

That got a response from him as he spun toward her he face a mask of anger. "Raven!" He tried to hold onto his anger at her intrusion into his mind, but as he glared into her amethyst eyes, he saw they weren't impassive as usual, but openly showed her concern, and desire to help. After a moment he blew out a frustrated breath. He never could stay mad at either Starfire or Raven for very long. He motioned for her to follow him. "Let me show you."

Raven looked around Robin's room as she followed him over to his computer. As far as she knew, only one other member of the team had been in here. It pretty well matched her mental picture of the place. Very neat, a set of Japanese swords in a rack mounted on one wall, computer set just a few steps from his bed. The only thing that might have seemed out of place was the purple tube top and skirt that were carelessly draped over the foot locker at the foot of the bed.

"There, that's how." Raven turned her attention to the computer monitor, and the web page on it. It took her only a brief glance to see that it was Red' X's home page of sorts. The http address had no connection at all to the page content, but what really caught her attention was a photo of Starfire with an IV laying on a cot. She gasped softly and felt her stomach churn when she read the caption below it. "Congratulations, Wilson S. Your winning bid of $2,500,000 will guarantee the delivery of your merchandize in approximately 4 days. Nightwing, don't be to quick to pull out; if Wilson S. does not fulfill his obligation to post the monies to my account, you will be given the opportunity to take possession at the cost of your last bid."

"He's selling her to the highest bidder? Why in Azar's name is he doing that?"

"He lost a lot of respect when he did us the favor of bringing Star to the hospital last time. He's trying to make up for that."

"Wait a minute, Wilson S.? Nightwing? You were bidding for her?"

"Yeah. The bidding closed shortly after we captured Plasmus. While you guys went to the pizza parlor I went to a cyber café and was going to place a higher bid when Overload cut the power, and my bid never got placed."

Robin watched as Raven looked at the name of the winner on the screen. He knew she put it together when her eyes went wide and she gasped in shock. "Wilson S.. Azar's mercy, don't tell me."

"Wilson Slade."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

"My worst nightmare is coming true, Rae. Providing Red X goes through with his plans, Slade will have Star in his control, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"We'll get her back, Robin. Hopefully before X gives her to Slade, but we will get her back."

Robin took a deep breath, and turned to face his and Starfire's closest friend. "Thanks, Rae. I know we'll get her back. I just hope it's sooner than later."

Whatever Raven was going to say in reply was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Someone here to see ya, Robin," Cyborg said as the door slid open.

"Shavota, Shokata."

"Shavota, Vidak'an Nie'l"

"Father, I have told you that you may address me as shoka."

Robin smiled warmly at the youngster. "Don't misunderstand this, Nie'l, but I'm still having a hard time thinking of you as my son."

"Is it because I am an embarrassment to you? And what news of mother?"

"Walk with me, Nie'l, we need to talk."

The two walked in silence, Robin marshalling his thoughts, and Nie'l waiting for the answers to his questions. It wasn't until they reached Starfire's garden that Robin spoke. "Nie'l, embarrassed is not the word that describes my feelings towards you. Thanks to Galfore, Kim'r, and Starfire, while she was on Tamaran, I have heard how well you have been doing in your training. To be honest, it is because of my own age that I have trouble with thinking of you as my son. Kori. . .Starfire and I are very proud of you."

"Thank you. I work hard so that I do not disappoint you. Mother told me that you might have difficulty accepting me as you son, as you may not understand a part of our culture." They had reached where the bench had been placed at the center of the garden and they sat, half turned so they could face each other. "We are a warrior culture, father, and as such we do not make the distinction between adoptive and what you would call natural parents. We have not for many centuries. Between accidents in training, and combat, there is no shortage of children needing parents. To distinguish between the parents is to take away from what the adoptive parents mean to us. I will never forget my birth parents, but you and the Empress are my parents now. By all our traditions, it is the two of you that I think of as such."

"Pe va aparo, shoka. I didn't mean to offend you or dishonor you."

"And thanks to mother's explanation, you have done neither. Do you know that aside from your friendship and later your love, she treasures this garden above anything else you have given her? She told me of why you gave it to her. She started a garden at the Palace on Tamaran, but it is not the one that holds her heart."

Robin sighed heavily. "About her. We know who has her, but finding him is a different matter. I had an opportunity to gain her freedom, but I couldn't."

Nie'l's face creased with curiosity. "Why could you not?"

"The person who has her was offering her to the one who could bid the most money. Because I had to protect the city from two creatures, called Cinderblock, and Plasmus, it was almost the deadline for bids when I went to place my final bid. Right before I placed it, another creature, called Overload attacked and shut off the power. My bid didn't get placed, and a very bad criminal named Slade won."

"X'Hal, no! Mother has told me some things about him. You must not let him get her."

"I don't intend to, Nie'l." Just then, Robin's communicator went off with it's trouble alert. "What is it Cy?"

"I just picked up a xenothium trace, and not at one of the known locations."

"Right," Robin snapped then set his communicator to call the rest of the Titans at once. "Titans go!" he shouted into it and stood to run to the Tower.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Jennifer sighed softly as she finished jotting down Starfire's information on the clipboard and set it down. She thought she had kept it soft enough that her patient wouldn't hear it, but the look on the redhead's face told her otherwise.

"What troubles you, Friend Jennifer?"

Jennifer smiled softly. She could easily understand what Robin saw in the young Tamaranean aside from her physical beauty. With all Starfire had to worry about, she still asked what was bothering _her_. Over the last few days, Jennifer had learned that despite being a super heroine on Earth, and a Princess on her home planet, Starfire simply wanted to be treated like everyone else. She gave her a smile, but saw that Starfire wasn't buying it. "Something that would normally make me happy for a patient under my care," she said. "Physically, you're fully recovered."

Starfire gave her a quizzical look. "I can understand why that would make you happy, but why does it trouble you in my case?"

"For starters, it means that Red X is going to go ahead with his plans. Both in making you fight the Titans, and turning you over to whoever this Wilson S. is." Jennifer watched as a crowd of emotions vied for dominance of Starfire's expression, and an almost haunted look filled her eyes.

"He is a criminal, possibly the worst one we have faced," she said softly. "If it were not for my relationship with Robin, I would still simply know him as Slade."

Jennifer noticed the tone of Starfire's voice, and her movements. "You're really scared of him, aren't you?"

"With good cause, Friend, and do not look so surprised. A person that claims to have no fear is either a liar or a fool, and I am neither. Yesterday should have been proof enough that I have fears. I simply believed that it was only the big hairy spiders that Robin has taught me were called tarantulas on this planet."

"Well, I will admit that that was the largest wolf spider I have ever seen," Jennifer said recalling the two inch across spider that had scuttled into the middle of the room yesterday while she was walking Starfire around again. "At least it showed that you can fly and that your star bolts work."

Starfire blushed in embarrassment as she remembered her reaction to the spider suddenly appearing in front of her. Without thinking she had practically bumped her head on the ceiling and obliterated the creature with a star bolt. "True." She was silent for a moment. "Red X may use me against my friends, but his way permits me to control what happens to them. Slade will not allow me that, as he will use his possession of me to force them, especially Robin, to either stay out of his way, or do things for him. I will be responsible for that."

"So you don't think he will hurt you?"

"As long as it is in his best interest, Slade will keep me alive and unharmed. I expect my life to be very short once I am no longer of any use to him. At that point I would no longer care, as Robin would be gone."

"Starfire, you have your powers. Blast down the door, and get us both out of here.":

Starfire turned away, unable to meet Jennifer's gaze. "I can not, Friend Jennifer. It is a matter of honor. I gave my word, and I owe him my life, as I do you."

"Do you honestly think he would be so. . . . . .honorable?"

"In certain respects, yes I do, but it does not matter. If I were to act as he, I would be not better."

Grudgingly Jennifer agreed with her, and both of them turned when Red X appeared.

"Good to see you up and about, cutie."

Starfire's eyes narrowed and she clenched her fists in anger. "My name is Starfire, or, if you can not managed that, Koriand'r."

Jennifer didn't know why, but she got the distinct impression that X was smiling behind his mask. She watched as he made an elaborate bow. "I apologize, Vidak'an Koriand'r du Tamaran."

Starfire gasped in surprise. "How. . . .where did you learn my language?"

"When I first brought you here you were feverish and mumbling. When you told me that you name is Koriand'r and that you're one of the Royal Family, I figured that what I just said meant Princess Starfire of Tamaran. The rest I have no idea what it meant, loneva."

Red X almost immediately regretted addressing Starfire with that last word as her eyes not only narrowed, but glowed green with her anger as did her fists.

"You will not address me with that word again! As you stated in that warehouse when we first confronted you, we have not been out on a date, and we are not doing the going out!"

"Odd, you were the one that called me that when I was first putting a bandage on you. You said 'Kovat shu, loneva' as you reached up and cupped my cheek with your good hand."

Starfire blinked, confusion written on her face. "No. . . I would. . . .not," She stammered, cooling her bolts, her hand going to her head, rubbing her forehead trying to relieve the headache she had. "You are a criminal, I can not have those feelings for you." '_Why not?' _a voice in her head argued. _'Is he not very much like Robin? If he cared for you as much as he says, would he not have stopped the others from trying to get rid of you.' _Starfire shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts, knowing they were wrong. She looked over at Red X, then closed her eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. _'Robin is my husband. We love each other,'_ She thought. _'Does he really?'_ The voice argued, _'Then why did he not trust you when he was Red X? Why was it not he, but Red X that has saved your life twice now?'_

Jennifer saw Starfire open her eyes again, and her jaw almost dropped when she saw the look the redhead was giving Red X. "Starfire, are you alright?"

"As you informed me, Friend Jennifer, I am fully recovered."

"I said, physically," she corrected her patient. "Trauma such as you suffered can leave psychological scars, and don't forget about Robin's concerns about that radiation."

"I do not believe that was true. That it was a ruse to get whoever found me to return me to the Tower. I know of no form a radiation harmful to Tamaraneans." She gave Red X another look. "I believe that he is the jealous that Red X has me, and he does not."

Red X wasn't sure who was more surprised at Starfire's statement, himself or Nurse Ramsey. _'Judging by the look on her face, I'd say she is,'_ He thought. "So you're healthy again?"

"That is what Nurse Ramsey has told me."

"Then it's time I got rid of her." X's eyes widened as he suddenly found Starfire between himself and Jennifer, her star bolts primed.

"You will not harm her."

"What of your debt of honor to me? Do you put it aside so easily?"

"She is just as responsible for saving my life as you are. This is my repayment to her. She will be released unharmed and you will not bother her again."

X stared at her for a moment, meeting Starfire's steady gaze. "Alright, Princess, you win. She goes free." He crossed over to where a board had been nailed up on the wall and pulled it down, revealing a large window that overlooked an empty warehouse. He slid open a section of it, and extended his arm through the opening, launching a red 'X' shaped device which exploded when it hit the far wall.

"What are you trying to do? Kill us!" Jennifer demanded.

"Xenothium," Starfire said softly. "That explosion was caused by xenothium."

"That's right, Princess. That should bring your friends quick enough."

"You seek to test my honor on how I will keep my word to you. To see if I try to escape."

Red X nodded, then moved over to the laptop on the table. After a few moments, he motioned for Starfire to join him. Jennifer was stunned when Starfire not only went over to him, but put both of her hands on his shoulder and rested her chin on them as she looked at the screen.

A short time later, Jennifer noticed that they had finished whatever it was that they were doing, and Starfire's head snapped up and she seemed to look intently at the wall just right of the door. "Shalay'fa," she said softly.

Before either she or X could ask what Starfire had said, Jennifer heard a voice, and even though it was muffled by the door and wall, she recognized it as Raven's, chanting the words she used to work her magic. Suddenly, Raven's black power enveloped the door and it's frame and they were ripped from the wall.

"Titans, go!" she heard Robin shout, and they burst into the room. Jennifer did a double take when she saw one of the two Tamaraneans that entered the room with them. It took her a second to realize that the young woman was wearing a blue outfit, not purple, and matched the glow at her hands.

"Let her go, X" Robin demanded, a birdarang ready to throw.

Jennifer saw that look of shock on all of the Titans faces, as Starfire moved closer to Red X and slid her arm around his waist.

"Sorry, Kid. This is one damsel you don't get to rescue. We have somewhere else to be."

"NO!" Robin cried as he watched X touch his belt buckle and they vanished. "Starfire!" he shouted as he ran over to where they had vanished from. Jennifer's heart went out to him as even she could hear the pain and desperation in his voice. "Raven, can you track her?"

Jennifer watched as the dark Titan closed her eyes for a moment before replying. "No. I don't know if from her purposely blocking me, or if it's because of her condition."

"So what you put in the paper is true? Not just a trick to get Red X to let her go?"

"No, Miss Ramsey, it's true, though I wish it wasn't. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"He treated us both well, Robin. To be honest, except to check his laptop and bring us food and such we hardly saw him."

"Yo, Robin! Over here."

Robin excused himself, and went over to where Cyborg stood next to Red X's laptop. His eyes narrowed in anger as he read the text on the screen. "Click the link, Kid. You know the password." Using the touch pad, Robin put the cursor on the link and tapped the enter key which brought up a security window that asked for a password.

"So what's the password?"

Robin ignored Cyborg's question and typed the word xenothium and hit enter.

"Incorrect password, access denied."

After a moment's thought he typed again and when he hit the enter key, he was granted access.

"That was a long string," Cyborg commented, "What was it?"

"Starfire of Tamaran," Robin replied, then fell silent as a video started playing.

Starfire and Red X's head and shoulders filled the screen, and Robin was braced for what ever taunts X was going to spring on him. He was stunned when it was Starfire that spoke. "Robin, do not attempt to rescue me. You will not be able to for two reasons. First, you will not be able to find us, as X is quite good at finding the hideouts. Second is that I will resist any attempt to do so. I have decided that X is a far better choice, as he has been the one to be there when I have most needed him. Pe alanche shu zelo toderi he oteri."

The screen went blank and Robin simply stood there, staring at the screen his face a study of astonishment and disbelief.

"Shel'b!"

"Yes, Friend Raven?"

"Pe alanche shu zelo toderi he oteri. What does it mean?"

"I release you from all your oaths," she replied. "Why?"

"Robin, she didn't mean it, at least not if she was thinking right."

"I do not understand, who has released who from their oaths?"

Almost mechanically, Robin touched the appropriate keys on the computer an the message replayed itself.

"Lady Koriand'r's shalay'fa is correct, Highness. She would not release you from your Bonding, or your oath to her as her shalocfa."

Robin didn't make any comment at Chr's's statement, and he walked over to the window and looked at the empty warehouse below.

"Robin, no. Don't think that." Raven said as she picked up his feelings.

"You saw the message. She's right; the two times she needed me the most I wasn't there, and both times she nearly died."

"Robin, they're right," Jennifer said. "Starfire isn't thinking right. She hasn't been for at least the last hour. I've been the only one she's had to talk to for the last three days." she looked around quickly and noticed that the rest of the group had quickly decided that there was something else in the room that needed their attention. "Robin, she loves you deeply, and she was very, very reluctant to part with these." Jennifer grew concerned as Robin's face drained of color as he took the chain that now had three rings on it. "I found the engagement ring and wedding band on the chain when I was examining her when I first got here and removed them before Red X saw them. Starfire, herself, gave me her bonding ring when she agreed it would be best if he didn't see them."

Jennifer was thoughtful for a moment, and noticed that Raven had drawn closer. "Robin, she knows you were bidding for her. . . . .and that you lost. It showed up on the laptop."

"Robin," Raven admonished softly.

"I'm dealing with it Raven,"

"No, you're keeping it all inside. Letting it eat away at you."

Jennifer was surprised that Raven didn't even blink as Robin whirled on her, his face inches from hers. "What do you want me to do, Raven? Scream, or shout? Well it's not going to happen. I don't have time for that right now. We've got to find where he's taken her before he delivers her."

"To Slade." Jennifer saw the surprise in Robin's face when he looked her way. "We're both aware of who won the bidding. Although she had more knowledge of who Slade is than I do."

"I hope it stays that way, Miss Ramsey. I really do."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

The old parking garage was abandoned and empty; the building it serviced condemned and slated for demolition later that year. It was empty, that is, until Starfire and Red X materialized in the middle of the large empty space.

"Home for the time being, Princess."

With the way that X called her Princess, Starfire almost wished he would go back to calling her cutie. _'This must be where he has been spending much of his time while I recovered,'_ she thought as she looked around. Over in the far corner was an area that had been screened off with the type of partitions that are used in offices. Over closer to her was another. Between the two was a table, two chairs and another laptop.

Her assessment of the place was interrupted by Red X talking. "One of the better things about this place is that it's three levels under ground so that I can use my devices and you can use you powers without the Titans picking up on the energy signatures."

"I see, but must we do nothing but practice?"

Red X was thrown for a loop by not only the question, but the tone of voice it was delivered in, and for once, he didn't have a witty comeback. As he watched Starfire lifted a hand to her head, as she shook it slightly.

"Give me a moment, to do some stretching exercises, and I will be ready to practice," she said softly, her voice practically dripping with embarrassment and uncertainty.

Red X looked over as Starfire put her foot up on the top rail beside a set of steps and leaned forward, stretching out her hamstrings. He was glad that his mask hid his expression, as he didn't want the redhead asking him what was confusing him. The answer was both ridiculously simple, and complicated. . . . .she was. He knew that he should consider her his prisoner, but that implied that he was holding her against her will, and for the last half hour she had made it clear that even if he released her from her debt to him that she'd stay.

He had been almost as surprised as the Titans had looked to be when Starfire had put her arm around his waist. Just as he had been surprised at what she had said on the video he had left on the laptop. He had planned on being the one talking, getting some verbal shots at Robin, but he had fallen silent as he listened in astonishment to what she had said. He had asked her what she had said at the end, but her simply telling him that she released him from his oaths didn't ease his confusion.

Starfire could feel X's eyes on her as she stretched. She was glad that he was on the other side of the room, as she needed the time to get her feelings back under control. _'He is a criminal, I am a Titan. That alone should keep me from having these feelings for him,'_ She thought to herself.

'_But did not Cyborg have the feelings for Jinx when he was at the Hive Academy?"_ the voice in her head argued.

'_That was different. He was under cover and had to blend in,'_ she reasoned.

'_If you truly believed that, this would not be a problem.'_

Choosing to ignore that last thought, Starfire straightened up and flexed and rolled her left shoulder. As she rotated it forward she felt a small twinge of pain, but nothing she couldn't handle. She took a deep breath, to steady her nerves, and turned to tell X that she was ready to begin practicing with him, and found herself face to face with him, mere inches separating them. As she looked into his masked eyes, she swallowed nervously as her mouth went dry, and her breath caught in her throat. After a brief moment she tore her eyes away, and remembered a similar incident.

It had been the first day that they had gone inside Titans Tower. She was walking in one of the training rooms, and she was looking up at a collection of ropes, and trapeze swings that were suspended from the ceiling in one corner wondering what they were there for. Since she wasn't watching where she was going, she had walked right into Robin. To keep them both from losing their balance, he had gently grabbed her shoulders.

"Listen, kid," X said, breaking her train of thought, "I pretty much know how you fight, and I'm not looking for a partner, just someone to keep the Titans off my back while I steal something. I know that the hamburger you had before was the first solid food you've had in three days. How about some dinner?"

Acknowledging the soft grumble from her stomach, Starfire nodded and followed him over to the small table and chairs.

"It's not home made, and I hope you like lasagna."

Starfire looked down at the TV dinner tray with it's slab of lasagna, and garlic bread, and was surprised at how good it looked. "Yes, I like lasagna very much. Robin made some when we celebrated the second anniversary of the forming of the Titans."

Red X heard the sadness in her voice. "If you want, I can let you go back."

"No, X, you can not," Starfire said reaching over and putting her hand on his. "It is no longer simply my word or debt of honor to you that holds me here. I know that Slade won the bidding, and he will not tolerate your going back on your part of the bargain. As a Titan, I wish to see you in jail for your crimes, not dead." she was silent for a moment, and couldn't suppress the shiver that coursed through her as X gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "For myself, I wish neither."

The two ate in silence for a while, then Starfire spoke again. "There are things that you can do that will make defeating the Titans easier," she began. "With Raven you can reduce her effectiveness by either making her unable to speak, or gesture with her arms and hands. Also making it difficult for her to concentrate will assist you. Cyborg can be rendered temporarily inoperable by sending a jolt of electricity through him, as it will disrupt his systems. Those same jolts of electricity, at a lower level will cause Beast Boy to revert to human form from whatever creature he becomes. Having watched you the only time we fought I am sure that you will be able to deal with Robin."

Red X, gaped at her in total shock. "Starfire, you just betrayed your friends to me. What you just told me, I can use anytime."

"I am aware of this. What I have just told you will also enable you to do what you want with minimal injury to them."

"What about the two Tamaraneans that they have with them now?"

Starfire thought for a moment. "For during the two times that you wish me to assist you, there is something that I have at the Tower that I will require."

That drew a chuckle fro Red X. "You expect me to let you simply return to the Tower? Once you're among your friends you'll stay there."

"No, I will not. They will not be there because you will distract them."

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When the Titans returned to the tower, Raven pulled Robin off to the side. "You have three choices," she told him. "Get eight hours of sleep, which would be best for you, Azar knows."

"What are my other choices?"

Raven's only reaction to the annoyance in his voice was a slight hardening of her expression. "You can meditate, with me, until I say you've had enough, or you can practice your tai chi exercises."

"And if I refuse?"

With an exasperated sigh, Raven crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Robin, you're under a lot of stress. More than from Starfire's being in Red X's hands," she reasoned. "You're still adjusting to her being your wife, and Nie'l being your son. Not to mention what was on that video."

Robin glared back at her, and after a moment realized that in his present mental state that he wouldn't win this staring, or more correctly, glaring match. He looked away with a frustrated sigh. "Okay, Raven, you win. If I decide to practice tai chi, I take it you won't let me do it in my room?"

"With your computer there, not likely, Boy Wonder."

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in training room five," he announced as he stalked from the room.

Robin didn't do exactly as Raven had said. When he got to the training room, he changed into his martial arts outfit. When he stepped into the room he took a moment to study his reflection in the mirrored wall. He slipped off his mask and grunted when he saw the dark circles under his eyes. He knew Raven was right, and that he really should get some sleep. He put his mask on and gave his reflection a lopsided grin. "It's a poor substitute, but it'll have to do." Taking the lotus position, he did as he had been taught, concentrating on his breathing. In, hold it for a moment, then out. He concentrated on that until everything else faded away. After a while, he shifted his awareness to his heartbeat, slowing it little by little. A few moments later, if Doctor Benson had been there with an EKG, she would have been very concerned at how slow his pulse had gotten.

He didn't know how long he stayed that way, but Robin eventually opened his eyes and stood up. After a few stretches, he began performing the elementary motions of his tai chi regimen _'I must be worse off that Raven thinks. These movements should be as natural to me as breathing.'_ he thought as he found that even concentrating on the moves, he was still dong them wrong. With a groan of frustration, he stopped and began again.

He had just restarted for the third time when he saw Beast Boy walk past the door. He quickly crossed over and poked his head into the hallway. "Hey, Beast Boy! Got a minute?" he called surprised to see that he was walking with Raven and they seemed to be talking quietly. He was even more surprised when the green Titan turned to Raven, seeming to ask if it was alright.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I want to apologize, again, for the other day. I really acted like a jerk."

"Let's just say it wasn't one of your better moments." They were silent for a moment, and Robin began the slow motion movements that were tai chi again, and was surprised to see Beast Boy copying him. Beast Boy caught the look, and grinned sheepishly. "Rita taught me some when I first joined the Doom Patrol. My Morphing ability hadn't fully developed, and she said I needed some way to defend myself. It's been a while since I've done them though." After a few more moments of silence, Beast Boy spoke up again. "Oh, and don't sweat it. I seem to remember my acting like you did when Terra was Slade's apprentice."

"But you didn't slam me against a wall."

"As if I could," the green changeling chuckled, then shifted his position to more mimic Robin's. "But I did take the verbal shot, reminding you that the rest of us didn't give up on you when you were his apprentice." He relaxed from the stance and faced Robin more squarely. "Robin, none of us are going to give up on her, even if it wasn't caused by something messing with her head." He looked around as he thought over what he was going to say next. "Listen, I know you already know this, but she's something special. Way to special for Slade to have anything to do with. We'll get her back, Robin, then Vern'a can give her that cure, and everything will be back to normal. Just don't give up on yourself."

"What?"

"Robin, if you've got someone or some thing to fight, you never give up, but when something happens to one of us, you beat yourself up over it."

"I'm the leader, Beast Boy, it's my job to worry about you guys."

"I **know** that but, dude, everything that happens isn't your fault. I'll even bet that you think it's your fault Starfire's in the situation she's in now."

Robin froze, and gave Beast Boy an angry glare. "Try that again?"

The green titan shook his head sadly, knowing he had hit on at least one thing that was bothering Robin. "Dude, it's not your fault she got hit by that radiation."

"If it wasn't for me she wouldn't have been aboard that ship, returning to Earth."

"Yes, she would have, Robin. Yes, she was returning to be with you, her husband, but she was also returning to the rest of us, her friends, and the closest thing she's had to a family. So quit taking all the blame on yourself and realize that accidents simply are that, accidents, and out of your control."

Robin looked over at his reflection in the wall to ceiling mirror that was the wall he was facing. With an effort he relaxed his stance ending with unclenching his fists. "Beast. . . Garfield, thanks for reminding me of that. I'll try to keep it in mind."

Beast Boy shook the hand that Robin held out to him. "Just remember you have friends that care about you and want to help."

Robin nodded then watched Beast Boy leave, surprised at how much better he felt. With a sigh, he began again and was surprised again when he found he was now performing the moves the way he should.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Robin had finished his tai chi exercises and was actually feeling much better. Now he had gone to his room and was working at his computer when he heard a knock at his door. He looked up from his monitor screen and rubbed at his mask. He had been searching for any leads on X, Slade, or Starfire, with no luck. "Come in," he called, realizing it wasn't one of the Titans, as they wouldn't disturb him in his room. He stood and stretched the kinks from his back as the door opened.

"Robin, may I have a word with you, in private?"

"Sure Chr's. Come in." Robin motioned for the warrior to take a seat in his computer chair while he sat on the foot of his bed. "What can I do for you?"

"Robin, I understand your being upset about Koriand'r being with Red X and appearing to prefer him over you, and I know how you feel. If it were not for several things, I would have challenged you over Shel'b."

"Huh?"

"Robin, over the last three months you have been around her almost constantly, far more than I have. She was a member of your Guard when you were Koriand'r's Shalocfa, and filled in as a Titan while the Empress was on Tamaran. Because of that, the two of you have built a strong friendship which enables you to work well together. I have seen the way that you look at her at times, until either she speaks, or you notice her eye color. That is the main reason I have not challenged you, because it is not Shel'b that you are seeing, but Koriand'r."

"I hope that another reason is because you trust her."

"And you as well, Robin. Shel'b has told me much concerning yourself and Koriand'r. She did not break her oath, and violated no trusts between you. With what she has told me, and what I have heard, I can think of nothing that would cause you to violate the trust and devotion of your shamata." He paused for a moment deciding how best to proceed. "But this is beside the point. Shel'b and I have noticed that you are not as . . . .focused as you were before you learned of the Princess's condition. Kim'r has also noticed that since you have learned the nature of Koriand'r's affliction that you seem. . . . .preoccupied about something between you. She feels that you would talk with me more easily than you would with herself, and if it is what I think it is, she is correct."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Robin, having been here on Earth for the last month and talking to Shel'b, I understand your reluctance to discuss it so I will put it plainly. Vena shu senava que Koriand'r?"

Robin felt his cheeks burn as he translated the question. "That's. . . . ." he began, but let the protest that it was none of his business, die on his lips. "It's not. . . ." he tried again, but couldn't bring himself to discuss it.

"Robin, it is expected. You are shokala e shamata, husband and wife. Is it that you regret. . . "

"No," Robin answered quickly, then paused as his mind raced back to the evening Starfire had returned from Tamaran, narrowly escaping being killed in an accident that had destroyed the ship she had been on. What had started as him massaging Starfire's neck on the Tower roof, became so much more for them both, when they moved to his room so he could give her a back rub. "I certainly don't regret it."

"I am glad to hear that, but your unease does center around that, does it not?" Chr's watched, as Robin stood and began pacing. "Robin, it was her ultimate expression of her love for you." Chr's wasn't sure why, but this stopped Robin in his tracks. "This should not be a concern for you."

"What! Do you mean that I. . . "

"My apologies, Robin, that was a poor choice of words." Chr's closed his eyes, emphatically wishing that Kim'r had talked Galfore into having the conversation with Robin. "I understand that your feelings for Koriand'r are strong, and it is obvious that she returns them equally as strong."

"I know that. It's just that this condition would make her revert to her baser instincts and wants. How can I know it wasn't that. . . ."

Chr's gave a relieved chuckle when he realized what was bothering Robin. "Robin, your bond through the crystal would leave you with no doubts of her feelings. Ask yourself if it felt right to you or not. Did you feel anything but her love for you? Answer that, and you have the solution to your problem." he stood and went to the door. "I will leave you to sort things out on your own."

Chr's turned towards the door, and it hissed open. "Chr's," Robin called, stopping him from leaving. "Thanks."

"I was glad I could be of help."

"Just out of curiosity, are you and Shel'b bonded?"

"No, Shel'b does not reach the age where she can marry for a few more months yet. While we were on Tamaran, we did announce what you would call our engagement. The ceremony is identical to you and Koriand'r's declaration, except that it was done only in front of our families. As the Empress is to you, Shel'b vat ne mathad, e genthalas du penefa. Shel'b and I would be honored if you and the Empress would witness our taking of the Oath of Bonding."

"It is we who would be honored, Chr's, and our pleasure."

Chr's opened his mouth to say something, but the trouble alarm started sounding. Robin flipped open his communicator. "Robin, it's Red X. He's broken into a warehouse on the far side of the city," Cyborg reported.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Starfire crouched in some bushes near the end of the tunnel that lead from the underground garage at Titans Tower. She knew it would have been better if she had her communicator, as she would know when the alarm went off. Her eyes focused on the entrance to the tunnel when her ears picked up the sound of Robin's R-cycle approaching. She watched as it flashed past her, the high revving sound of the engine telling her that Robin was pushing it to it's limits. "You think you are going to rescue me from Red X, but I will not be there," she muttered, then watched the T-car go past. She waited a moment, to make sure that she wouldn't be seen in the rearview mirror, then flew down into the tunnel. Once she reached the garage area, she quickly typed her access code into the keypad for the door to the stairs. When she reached the level with the common room and the individual rooms, she paused as she heard the soft clicking of a keyboard.

Kim'r had arrived shortly after the Titans had, and had been partly relieved when she had been told that Robin needed some time to relax, and had been convinced to do so by Raven. Talking with Cyborg, she had been instructed in the use of the computers in the Tower, and she was currently monitoring their progress on the current mission when she heard something behind her. "Koriand'r! Thank X'Hal you are well! It is good that you have returned. I will inform Robin of you being here."

Kim'r turned back to the keyboard, her fingers poised over the keyboard, when she suddenly felt Starfire's fingers on the back of her neck, expertly finding the nerve points and pressing. With a soft groan she slumped in her chair, then slid to the floor, as Starfire kept the pressure up, lengthening the time she would be unconscious.

"Shamana, what did you do?"

Starfire whirled at the voice behind her and froze when she saw Nie'l standing there, his eyes wide in shock. His question had been completely rhetorical as he knew perfectly well what Starfire had done to Kim'r. She was surprised to see the youngster's hands glow brightly with star bolt energy.

"Get away from her. You are not my mother, she would not do this, or look at me like that." Instead of following through with the implied threat of his primed star bolts, he backed up as Starfire took a step towards him.

"It is alright, Nie'l. Kim'r would try to keep me from leaving the Tower, and I have given my word of honor to Red X that I would return to him. Can I not receive a hug?"

Nie'l blinked when he saw the expression change on Starfire's face, from something like anger to the caring, loving look now. He cooled down his bolts and moved into her outstretched arms. "I have been so worried about you, mother. No, ungh." He said then gasped as Starfire's fingers pressed the back of his neck, and everything went black.

Starfire gently lowered him to the floor then went down the hall without looking back. She quickly entered her room and went to her closet. Setting aside the contents of one of her shelves, she removed a panel, revealing a secret compartment. She lifted a small box, and returned things as she had found them before closing the closet door. Instead of leaving through the Tower, she simply opened her window and flew through it. As she flew over the bay, she took a small device from her belt and spoke into it. "I have left the Tower, you may break off at your convenience."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Red X stood in the shadows behind a stack of shipping crates in the warehouse. He had smiled as he broke into the place, having to take the time to make sure he had tripped the alarm, rather than disabling it.

"X, I know you're in here!" Robin called as he entered the place. "Show yourself!"

"What's the matter, kid, can't wait for the rest of your team to get here?"

Robin spun towards the source of the voice, a birdarang ready to throw. "Where is she, X? Let her go, and I'll walk the other way."

"Sorry, chuckles, but your girlfriend isn't here. In fact you'd be surprised where she is."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Robin insisted, then saw only the slightest blur of movement, and was caught by surprise at the webbing that enveloped him. He went to cut the webbing of the net with his birdarang, but a jolt of electricity blasted him into unconsciousness.

"He's coming around," Robin heard Raven's voice say from the end of a tunnel. He also heard the sound of star bolts being launched in rapid succession, along with the roar of a lion or tiger.

"Yo, Robin, can ya hear me?"

"Yeah, Cy, help me up," Robin groaned in reply. Giving his head a shake to clear it, he managed to stand without falling flat on his face. "Report."

"Well, you managed to get yourself caught in an electrified net when you decided to go off and try to catch Red X by yourself," Raven replied. "Chr's and Shel'b have him cornered at the moment in the far corner of the warehouse. And before you ask, Starfire isn't here, I've checked."

Just then an alarm went off from all their communicators. Robin yanked his from his belt and looked at the display. "He's just a decoy! Cyborg, you know all the intruder codes, which one is that?"

"Starfire's room, east window." Cyborg tapped some buttons on his arm display. "We're too late, Robin. The alarm was set off when she left. Her access code was used to enter through the garage area."

Red X was almost enjoying himself as he crouched behind a stack of crates, only showing himself enough to get the two Tamaraneans to try to hit him with their star bolts. He had just ducked back again when Starfire's voice whispered into his ear through the ear plug he had. _"I have left the Tower, you may break off at your convenience."_

"Sorry to disappoint you, kids, but it's time for me to leave." X said as he jumped out from behind the crates, then vanished.

"Robin, something's wrong. Kim'r doesn't answer, and she's been monitoring us on the computer."

"Right. Titans, regroup!" Robin called and Beast Boy, Chr's and Shel'b hurried back to where they were.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The trip back to the Tower had been as fast as it had been quiet. Despite Cyborg's assurance that the Tower was empty except for Nie'l and Kim'r, the rest of them burst out of the elevator, ready for a fight. They were stunned at the scene before them with Kim'r half under the computer table and Nie'l sprawled on the floor.

"Chr's, Shel'b, check on Kim'r, Cyborg, bring up the security videos, " Robin snapped as he went over to Nie'l with Raven right behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found a pulse.

"They're both just unconscious, Robin, but I can't find any trace of injury that would cause it."

"I think I've got the answer to that, Raven. Take a look at this."

They all gathered around the monitor and watched the security camera video, and Raven looked over at Robin when she felt the blaze of anger surge through him as they watched Starfire lowering Nie'l to the floor then walk off. "Robin, remember she's not herself," she said softly, and she could feel him locking his anger away as he closed his eyes.

"Shel'b, you and Chr's take Kim'r to Starfire's room and lay her on the bed, I'm taking Nie'l to my room."

"Robin is correct, Friend Cyborg, the _kavek lian _only renders them unconscious for a while, so they do not need to go to the med-lab."

"Sleep touch, eh?" Cyborg muttered as he watched them taken away.

Robin gently lay Nie'l on his bed, then went over to his computer and got the chair. Setting it next to the bed, he settled in to wait.

'_Robin, as I told you, she's not herself. I know what she's done angers you, and I can understand it, but Nie'l is going to need to see that you understand that Starfire's actions were **not** normal.'_

Robin sighed, using the bond he had with Raven was beginning to feel almost second nature to him. '_I know Raven, but it's not just that she attacked a child, but one she thinks of as her own son.'_

'_I know, Robin, but. . . '_

"_Yes, Raven, I know these aren't normal circumstances. One thing you can be sure of though, I'll be here for him.'_

'_Didn't doubt that for a second.'_

After about half an hour, he was getting concerned, as Shel'b hadn't been out this long when Starfire had used the Tamaranean acupressure technique on her. He was just about to call Cyborg, when Nie'l moaned softly then opened his eyes. Robin felt his chest tighten when his eyes found him, the fear and betrayal clearly visible in the soft brown eyes.

"Shokata, sha ve neru!"

"Athani, Nie'l. You're safe, I know she was here."

"Why, father? Why did she. . .hurt me?"

Robin felt as though his throat almost closed off when he saw the youngster's eyes shining as he tried to hold back his tears. "Nie'l. . . .son, you've got to believe me that if she were in her right mind she wouldn't have done that."

"I wish to believe you, but when she turned to face me, from Captain Kim'r, the look on her face, it was as if she did not know me, but I could not hit her with a star bolt. I have not learned my training well enough, I am sorry, father."

Robin gaped at Nie'l as his shoulders slumped as he hung his head. "Nie'l, you have nothing to be sorry for, you did what anyone would have expected you to. She's someone you trust and love. I've even done the same."

"She threatened you?"

Robin sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not long after Starfire came here and we formed the Titans, Slade wanted me as his apprentice. He separated me from her and the others, and infected them with small probes that he controlled that would kill them very painfully."

"Yes, she told me of this. She and the others managed to find Slade's lair and rescue you."

"That's right, but there was one time when I had to fight them. Can you stand?"

Nie'l nodded and Robin helped him up and walked with him over to the computer. He typed quickly for a moment, and the video of his and Starfire's encounter on the roof played itself out.

"Why did neither of you shoot? You could have escaped, and she could have captured you."

"For the same reason you didn't shoot her. We hadn't admitted to ourselves, let alone each other, but we had already fallen in love with each other. You heard her, she didn't want to live in a world where we had to fight, so she powered down her star bolts and left herself wide open to my attack, which she knew deep down that I wouldn't take."

"And she was right."

"Kim'r!" Nie'l cried happily when he turned and saw her in the doorway. "It is good to see you well," he said more calmly.

Kim'r chuckled softly, putting her right fist to her left shoulder and bowing slightly. "Thank you, my Emperor. It is equally good to see you as well. Before you ask, Robin, I will have a slightly sore neck for a few hours, but I am otherwise well. I wish to thank you for watching over him while I was incapacitated."

"No problem, Kim'r. He is my son after all."

"I assure you, Nie'l, actions such as what happened a short time ago are not normal for Koriand'r."

"So I have been reassured," Nie'l said, looking fondly up at Robin. "When next you go where she might be, I wish to accompany you. My presence might sway her from. . . ."

"Absolutely not. I won't put you in any danger, and though I hate to admit it, in her present state, Starfire is more of a danger than even her sister was."

"Do not argue, my Lord. Emperor you may be, but he is your father. Also, what he says is tactically sound as well. It would not do to have you captured."

Nie'l glared first at Robin then at Kim'r. Seeing that neither one of them looked as though they were going to budge on this subject, he sighed heavily and nodded his agreement.

"Robin, can I get a word?"

Robin excused himself and went over to the doorway where Cyborg stood. "What is it?"

"This," the titanium Titan replied, handing Robin a sheet of paper. "If we can believe it, it tells us exactly where and when Red X is going to strike next."

"How did you get this?"

"Believe it or not, it was e-mailed to us, each of us."

Cyborg followed Robin into his room and watched as Robin quickly logged onto the mainframe and accessed his e-mail. "Robin, I already tried that," he said as he watched him view the message header and try to back track the delivery path. "What?" he asked when he saw Robin smile softly.

"Believe it. I can't trace where it originated from, but I know who sent it."

"How? If you can not tell where it came from?"

"By how well they covered their tracks. I only know of one person who would want us to know where X is going to strike next, but not want us to know who he is."

"Slade," Cyborg said, earning a nod from Robin.

"But why would he want you to know this?"

"Because, Nie'l, he wants to see how well she does against us, and how I do against her."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The large room was bathed in bright white light, giving plenty of illumination for the dozens of security cameras that dotted the wall. In the center of the room was a shaft of brighter light that went from the floor to the ceiling. A small pedestal was surrounded by the shaft of light and a purple chip slowly spun above it, about four feet off the floor.

A soft squeak came from the ceiling, and a vent cover was pulled up into the duct. A moment later Red X dropped down and landed behind a computer console._ 'With what I'm getting for this chip and turning Starfire over to Slade, I'll have enough to quit this job,'_ He thought to himself.

'_You're a thief, not a slave trader,' _he argued back at himself. _'Do you really want to turn her over to Slade? You know what he's going to do to her.'_

"No I don't," he muttered, then quickly typed a string of characters into the keyboard. "But I've got a good idea," he added almost sadly as he watched the chip stop it's spin and was grabbed by a manipulator that came up from the pedestal. The shaft of light went off, and X walked over to claim his prize. Just as he reached the pedestal, a birdarang whistled past his ear, one of it's wings embedding itself in the pedestal.

"Where is she, X?" Robin's voice called as X took a defensive stance. He quickly turned to look behind him, then remembered what Starfire had told him a short time ago.

"_Seeing as he will not wish to damage the chip while you are near it, he will use his birdarangs to keep you from taking it. Do not believe that the direction it came from is where he is. He is an expert at throwing them and it is almost as though he can control their flight with his mind._"

Red X turned back to face the pedestal, and looked up to see Robin hanging upside down from another vent. Seeing that he had been spotted, Robin dropped to the floor and drew his staff and extended it. "I asked you where is she, X?" he said, his voice calm, but even X could feel the restrained anger under the surface.

Leaving the chip where it was, X stepped around the pedestal and faced Robin. "I may be a selfish thief in your eyes, but I don't kiss and tell, kid." X smiled behind his mask as his taunt had it's effect and Robin charged at him his staff swinging. That smile faded at the speed and ferocity behind Robin's attack which backed him up as he struggled to block the blows. X quickly touched a control on his belt and a soft pop was heard from the vent he came out of. Robin barely leapt back in time to avoid getting caught in another net.

"Good to see that you learn from you mistakes, kid. To bad you didn't bring the rest of your team with you."

"Who says I didn't. Titan's go!" At his shout, X saw a black circle form on the wall behind Robin and the rest of the Titans came out through it.

Now it was Red X's turn to jump backward as he neatly avoided the star bolts thrown by both Chr's and Shel'b. He saw that Raven was preparing to start her chant and he quickly extended his hand at her and launched an X shaped device.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinmmmff." was all Raven got out before the adhesive X wrapped itself over her mouth.

As she worked to free herself from that, Cyborg primed his sonic cannon and fired a blast at X, narrowly missing him.

Before he could get off another shot, X launched a X at him which attached to his chest, sending a jolt of electricity through him. "Aaarrrggghh! Systems over loading!" he shouted then fell over.

"Any time, Starfire," X muttered as he dodged another barrage of star bolts and eye beams, along with Robin's bo staff. He looked up when he saw Starfire fly out of the vent Robin had used and ended up behind the female Tamaranean who could have been her twin.

Robin saw X's glance and he quickly looked over his shoulder. "Shel'b! Behind you!" he shouted, but saw he was to late as Starfire's fingers found their marks and Shel'b dropped from the air, unconscious.

Chr's heard Robin's warning, and saw Shel'b fall, and he dove, catching her after only a fall of a few feet, then lowered her gently to the floor. Starfire saw the fury on his face as he looked back up at her.

"A present for you, Commander," she said and threw a small handful of spheres at him. They hit the floor with a popping hiss and Chris managed to get off a weak exclamation before he dropped to the floor beside Shel'b.

Seeing four of his team taken out so quickly, Robin renewed his attack on Red X, and heard the snarl of the tiger that Beast Boy had morphed into as it leapt at X. He saw X launch another device and heard the crackle of electricity followed by Beast Boy's moan.

"Why do you not face me, Robin?"

Robin turned and saw Starfire hovering a few feet off the floor, her hands and eyes glowing bright green. "Koriand'r, shamata, ca naf ca fetan."

"Do not do this, Robin?" She mocked. "I will do as I please, and you will not stop me. I released you from your oaths, do not call me shamata again."

"And what of Nie'l, Star?"

"I care nothing for a jelara that will not follow through on the threat of his own making."

X didn't know the meaning of the word jelara, but it was evident that Robin did, and it wasn't very nice. He watched as Starfire lowered herself to the ground and advance on Robin.

"Nie'l may be many things, Starfire, but a coward is not one of them." No sooner had Robin gotten those words out of his mouth and Starfire launched a series of star bolts at him, which he blocked with his staff. Reacting reflexively, he swung his staff, catching her on her left shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through the recently healed joint. As Starfire grabbed her shoulder in pain, Robin brought his staff around and swept her feet out from under her, dumping her onto her back.

"Robin!" Raven shouted as he kept his staff moving. The shout had it's effect, and snapped Robin out of the anger he had released, and stopped his staff scant inches from Starfire's jaw. However, the distraction allowed Red X to land a spin kick and send Robin flying back a few feet.

"Starfire!" X gasped as he knelt beside her. Seeing she was alright, even if in some pain, he looked over at where Robin had landed. "I got what I came for, kid," he said holding up the chip, then they vanished.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

"Robin," Raven called softly as she continued to feel the waves of anger she had been getting from him, from the time Starfire referred to Nie'l and a jelara, or coward.

Robin groaned, as he got up from where he landed after Red X's kick. "I'm working on it Rae, I'm working on it."

Raven bit back the comment that he really wasn't, when she felt his concern for herself, and the others wash over him. She watched as Robin crossed over to where Cyborg still lay, the glow from his legs and arms gone. Robin opened a panel on Cyborg's back and reached inside, and touched some controls. As he stood up and stepped back, Cyborg's glow returned and he slowly got to his feet.

"Raven, how's. . . " Robin began, but cut off when Beast Boy moaned softly then stood up holding his hand to his head. He watched as Raven crossed over to the green Titan and steadied him. Crossing over to where Shel'b and Chr's lay sprawled on the floor, he was relieved to hear Shel'b moan softly and her eyes opened.

"X'Hal, what hit me?"

"Starfire managed to get behind you."

Shel'b rubbed the back of her neck. "She learned well, I grant her that. What of Chr's?"

"Judging by how fast he went down, I'd say these were filled with wistona gas," Robin replied, picking up one of the spheres Starfire had thrown. "Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, we're getting out of here and heading back to the Tower."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Much to Shel'b's relief, Chr's woke up just as they got back to the Tower. They were now all sitting in the Common Room - well most of them were - Robin was pacing in front of the windows.

"Dude, I can't believe that Red X beat us that quickly," Beast Boy said as they finished watching the video from the security cameras.

"He had help." Raven saw that Robin flinched at her comment, but she knew that despite that fact that he didn't like it, he accepted the fact that Starfire had betrayed them to Red X.

"No way, Starfire wouldn't do that."

"Face it Cyborg, there's only one way he could have known how to take each one of us out that quickly. She told him how. You all know how much I don't want to believe that, but it's the only explanation."

"The question is, what do we do now, Robin?"

"We continue to try to get Starfire back, Chr's, or find some way to get the serum to her."

"But in her present state, she would not take it willingly. The Empress will have to be tricked into taking it."

"Your pardon, Healer, but I do not know of a way to do that. We will have to find a way to capture her, and administer the treatment."

"Easier said than done, Shel'b. Raven, were you able to pick up any of the Starfire we know from her?"

"It's not that she's not Starfire any more, Robin, it's that her sense of right and wrong is slipping away. That's why I've been unable to locate her through our bond. If I stay in contact with her for any length of time, my self control is effected."

Robin nodded his understanding. "That's something we're going to have to face. Without her restraint, but still having full control over her powers, Starfire is going to be a huge threat."

"More that I would be," Raven said. "In her place, not only would I lose my self control, but control over my powers as well."

"She's going to realize that she underestimated me, or at least my reaction to her dig at Nie'l. To be honest, I was surprised by it. Add to that the fact that she's going to lose more of her restraint, and the next time we face her, it's going to be rougher."

"I urge you to injure her as little as possible, Highness. Remember, the serum will take away her powers for a time, and her healing will not be as rapid."

"Vern'a, I hate to say this, but she may give us very little choice. When I faced her when she was under the influence of the Vartoch du Lunecha paste, it was all I could do to overpower her."

The Healer nodded sadly. "I understand, Highness."

With that, the meeting broke up and they went to prepare themselves for the next mission.

"Shokata, pe delina a jerana a shu."

Robin watched as the doors closed behind Chr's and Shel'b, leaving himself, Nie'l, and Kim'r. "Nie'l, I don't know what you want to talk to me about, but before you say anything else, I want to apologize to you."

"To me, father? Why? If it is for striking Starfire, there is no need. In her present state of mind, she is an enemy, she must be restrained and given the treatment."

Robin looked at the youngster, unable to keep the surprise off his face. "Nie'l, you have no idea how much your realizing that takes a load off my mind. It's going to be hard enough to deal with my own emotions over this, and facing you was going to be even tougher."

"What I wish to speak to you about is Kim'r; she is insisting I return to the ROHA'N, and possibly even to Tamaran until mother is safe."

"It is that I do not wish a repeat of earlier today, my lord. Koriand'r has access to this place, and that poses a threat to you."

"She no longer has access, Captain. I had Cyborg delete her access codes when we got back. If she tries to come back here, she'll set off the intruder alarm."

Kim'r sighed softly, then looked over at Nie'l. "Very well, Nie'l, you may stay, but you will not go outside the Tower without two guards. Now, you will go to the large training room, sword master Simo'n is waiting for you for today's lessons." She watched as Nie'l ran out the door. "Robin, I know how much this is costing you, but keep this in mind. When Koriand'r is returned to normal by the serum, she will remember everything that has occurred, her actions and thoughts. It will be a time when you will both need each other's support."

Robin nodded and saw by her expression that there was something else on her mind. "What is it, Kim'r?"

"You do know that I am not just a Captain, but that I am Captain of the Palace Guard, correct?" Robin nodded so she went on. "As such I am responsible for the safety of the Royal Family."

Suddenly Robin got a suspicion of where this conversation was leading. "Which, now that Starfire and I are bonded, includes me."

"Correct. Robin, I am not going to ask that you stand down in your efforts to free Koriand'r. To be honest, Raven and yourself must be the ones to get to her." She paused for a moment, uncertain of how to proceed, so she said it straight out. "Robin, I know better than to try to tell you to do something, as I realize the ones who have the honor of being able to, are few. My advice to you is to wear your armor under your normal outfit, at least your torso armor. Highness, I can see on your face, that you still do not believe that Koriand'r will attack you in earnest. What must I say to you to convince you that she will, probably the next time you face her? Vido'an, you bested her in combat, because she failed to gauge your reactions correctly. She will feel that her honor must be redeemed by defeating you in as a convincing way as she can."

She took a breath to continue speaking, but Robin stopped her by placing his hand over her mouth. "Kim'r, you've made your point," he chuckled dryly, thinking on how she was starting to sound like Starfire when she started rambling on about something. "Seeing as this is the first time you've called me Vido'an, or Prince, to my face, I can tell how much this means to you. I give you my word that I will wear my chest and back plate under my uniform until Starfire is back. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look in on Nie'l's swordsmanship practice."

"Thank you, Robin, I only wish, that Koriand'r took my advice as readily."

That comment stopped Robin well short of the door. He turned back and headed over to where Kim'r was now looking out the window at the bay and city. "Since when has she not listened to you? While the fleet was here before, she listened to your advice more than she listened to mine at times.

"While she was on Tamaran, the time of year came for the vithra to come out from their hibernation. They are drawn to freshly turned dirt, and even though I cautioned her about them, she insisted on working in the garden she had started."

"If I'm remembering right the vithra is something like our snakes, right?"

"Yes. I have done some reading and the closest you have is the type of snake you call pit vipers, like your rattle snake. As I was saying, she insisted on going to work in her garden and Nie'l went along with her, thank X'Hal."

"What do you mean? Why was it so good that Nie'l was there? He was bitten wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was. I believe the saying would be, like sister, like brother. Nie'l saw the vithra preparing to strike, and put his arm between her and it."

"I know, Starfire told me all about it."

Kim'r half turned her head to give Robin a sideways glance. "Did she also tell you that she is allergic to the venom, and in turn, the antivenin? I see by the look on your face that she did not. Yes, Nie'l did come close to death, and was very sick for several days, but had Koriand'r taken the bite, she would have been dead in seconds."

"Does he know this?"

"The Empress has sworn me to secrecy on this topic with Nie'l. She feels that the incident frightened him enough without adding that to it." She turned to looked out the window again. "However, she received no such oath from you," she said softly, and she and Robin shared a smile.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Kid, are you alright?" Red X asked, as they materialized back at the parking garage.

"Yes, X , I am uninjured," Starfire replied as she took the hand he offered and used his help to get to her feet. "Robin only swept my feet from under me, although if it was not for Raven's shout, I am not sure I would be conscious right now."

"He surprised you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he has evidently developed more of an attachment to the boy than I thought."

"Who is Nie'l, and why would Robin care about him?"

"He is a young boy from Tamaran. His sister saved my life, but sacrificed her own to do it, so I have allowed Nie'l to accompany me here to Earth."

"So, needless to say, because of his sister's saving you, Robin's taken a liking to the kid." X added, and noticed that Starfire still held his hand. When he tried to take his hand from hers, she held on and he pulled her off balance a little. She stumbled and fell into him, her arms going around him. "You alright, kid?"

"I am better now," Starfire murmured as she felt X's arms go around her. "What is the matter?" she asked a moment later when X broke the embrace, and stepped back.

"Much as you deny it, you and Robin have a relationship of some type. I'm not going to try to get between you."

As he spoke his last line, X turned away from Starfire and took a few steps. He was surprised when he felt her arms slip around his waist as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "What if I were to tell you that there is nothing between Robin and I for you to get in the way of?"

Red X swallowed nervously, and had to clear his throat before he replied. "That's something I'm going to have to think about."

Starfire sighed as she released X, and she stepped over to the laptop. "There is something I wish to do. If I give you my word that I will return, will you let me leave for a short time?"

"Yeah, you've shown me that you can be trusted to keep your word."

"Thank you." Starfire said then began typing. "I am going to go to the Tower and bring back a hostage that should keep Robin and the Tamaraneans out of your way. He will not be much trouble."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Robin watched Nie'l as he faced not only Simo'n, but Chr's and Shel'b as well. He was surprised to hear that they were using actual swords, not wooden replicas for this training session, but that paled in comparison to his astonishment at the speed, and power behind Nie'l's strokes. "Yes." he whispered to himself as he watched Nie'l parry Chr's's next blow then used his right leg to sweep Chr's's out from under him. Before he could capitalize on that, Shel'b moved in to distract him. He watched for a few more minutes, then headed for his room to relax with a book for a while.

About two hours later, he marked his page, and closed the book. Just as he was getting up to log onto his computer, someone knocked at his door. He went over and opened it. "Kim'r, what can I do for you?"

"I need to speak with you a moment, Highness."

Robin raised an eyebrow at the formal tone of Kim'r's voice. "Certainly, come in." He stepped aside so Kim'r could enter his room, and motioned for her to sit on his computer chair, as he sat on the foot of his bed. He was a little surprised that she didn't sit, but stood before him, almost at attention.

"I understand that you watched some of Nie'l's training this evening."

"Yes, He was facing Shel'b, Chr's, and Simo'n, and doing quite well, I might add."

"So you did not see to the end of the session?"

"No. Why? What happened?"

Kim'r visibly relaxed, which eased some of Robin's concern, as he knew that if Nie'l had been hurt she would still be nervous. "What you saw part of was Nie'l going through the Vartoch penova."

"Root trial? You mean he was under the Vartoch du Lunecha paste?"

"Yes, that is why he was facing three opponents who had completed their training. He passed, and attained use of his star bolts."

"But he had those earlier, when Starfire was here."

Kim'r sighed and finally took a seat. "He did, and he did not. Do you recall that Koriand'r seemed to have her eye beams before she underwent transformation?"

Robin thought about it, then remembered when Starfire and Kitten had been fighting. At first, he thought that Starfire had used a low powered star bolt to get the pie off her face, but the more he thought about it he realized that some sort of beam had come from her eyes. "Yeah, just a couple of days before her transformation started."

"So it is with star bolts. Over the last three weeks, Nie'l has been going through training sessions with increasing amounts of the paste on his sword hilt; tonight was the culmination of that phase of his training."

"Great, I'm glad to hear that he passed. So what happened after I left? I know the training session isn't forbidden, so why were you concerned that I might have seen it?"

"Nie'l had defeated both Shel'b and Simo'n and was facing Chr's one on one. Part of Chr's's duties was to try to make Nie'l lose control of his anger, by any means he could."

"And?" Robin prodded when Kim'r seem reluctant to go on.

"He almost succeeded, and not by frustrating Nie'l in combat. Heeee. . . . ."

"He, what, Captain?"

"He made a. . . . .demeaning remark about you and Koriand'r, one that was way out of line. To his credit, Nie'l managed to keep control, if only barely."

"I see. What was it he said?"

"I. . . . .gave him my word that I would not tell you. He is standing sentry duty on the roof of the Tower until dawn tomorrow, and he will provide me with a detailed account of everything that he sees."

Robin sighed heavily. He knew that such duty for a senior, command ranked, officer would be a sharp blow to his honor. "You know I could find out by watching the security video."

"I am asking you not to, Highness. Robin, I know that he only said what he did in performance of his duty in that particular training setting, and I have his personal word that such is the case. Let this go, Robin. I ask this of you as a personal favor." She met Robin's hard glare for a few moments then looked away. "Robin, please."

"Alright, Kim'r. You have my word that I will not ask him about it, I won't view the tape, and I'll tell Cyborg not to tell me about it when he views the tape tomorrow."

"Thank you. It is truly for the best. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go to sleep."

"Kim'r, does that mean that Nie'l's under the veka serum?"

"No, he did so well on the trial that it was not necessary. The effect will wear off in about half an hour." she said, then left.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

Robin sighed as he logged into his computer. He wondered what it was that Chr's had said, but trusted Kim'r's judgment, that it would be best if that incident was forgotten. He also wondered what Cyborg would say if he knew about his alternate username and password, and the abilities they carried. He had been using it since shortly after the system had been set up, and it was the one he had used to place his bids with Red X for Starfire. He made sure that the connections he used with it were totally untraceable. Once he got access, he opened the e-mail program. To anyone looking over his shoulder, everything would have seemed normal, but if they looked at the message information, and known what to look for, they would have noticed that he was now receiving the e-mails from the accounts of everyone in the Tower.

In his defense, it should be noted that he didn't open and read every message his friends received. There was a search program running that would alert him of any messages that came from sources that were trying to hide their origin, and if certain words were in the text of the message. It was one such message, from a hidden source, that caught his attention. It had just come in, and he almost didn't read it because it was to the address that Cyborg had assigned to Kim'r and Nie'l while they were at the tower. Set up in the hopes that Starfire might want to contact them rather than one of the Titans. He clicked on the subject line which read simply 'Shamana', the Tamaranean word for mother.

_Nie'l,_

_I wish to speak privately with you. Do not tell anyone about this message, as they will try to prevent you from seeing me. I wish you no harm, it is that I miss you that I wish to meet. I know Cyborg has given you an access code. You will have to use it to deactivate the intruder detectors in my garden. I will meet you there at midnight._

_Again tell no one about this._

_Koriand'r, he shamana_

Robin stared at the screen for a moment, torn between believing the message for what it appeared to be, and thinking that it was a trap in which Starfire would injure or kidnap Nie'l. He was startled when there was a soft knock at his door. He turned off his monitor and went over to it. When he opened it, he found Nie'l standing there, a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Shokata, I need to speak with you." Robin moved aside and motioned for Nie'l to sit on the bed while he brought over the chair from his computer. The youngster looked around nervously for a moment, and Robin saw him nod slightly as he made up his mind. "This came for me a few moments ago. I did not want to, but I felt it would be best if I told you about it."

Robin took the sheet, and read the message. "So, what are you going to do?"

Nie'l looked down at his hands, and Robin could see that his feelings were at war with one another. "I wish to meet with her, but as much as I miss her, and wish to trust her, I can not get the events of this afternoon out of my mind. I wish for you to accompany me to the meeting in the garden, but only reveal yourself to her if she threatens me.

"Nie'l, if she wants to hurt you. . . . ."

"I am not completely defenseless, father. This afternoon I completed the training with the Vartoch du Lunecha, and have attained my star bolts. If she tries to harm me, she will be unpleasantly surprised. I could not use them against her earlier because I had not passed the trial. In addition to my feelings toward her. I have prepared myself in the event that I have to use them on her."

"Kim'r told me about your passing the trial. I'm very proud that you did so well." He was silent for a moment. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but yes, I'll stay out of sight and keep an eye on you, but I'm going to do one other thing."

Nie'l watched as Robin brought out a Tamaranean communicator, and pressed a button on it. He almost protested, but the look he got from Robin together with Kim'r's voice on the communicator kept him silent.

"Highness, do you **ever** sleep?"

"Only when necessary, Kim'r. I have some instructions for you. If I don't contact you by half past midnight, I want you to bring Raven to the bench in the center of the garden."

"Highness, is the Emperor with you?"

"I guarantee his safety, Captain. There are things we need to . . . . .discuss." Robin winced slightly at his lying to Kim'r, but he knew that she wouldn't go along with just the two of them going out to meet Starfire. It didn't help when he heard her irritated sigh.

"Very well, Highness. I do not know what you are up to, but I know you will let no harm come to him."

Robin sighed when he heard the channel go dead. "We'd better get down there if I'm going to be able to hide before she gets here."

A short time later, Nie'l was sitting on the bench, and Robin was perched on a branch in a nearby tree.

"I am pleased that you have followed my instructions," Starfire said as she passed over the tree Robin was in and touched down a few feet from Nie'l. "What, you are not pleased to see me? Do you not wish to give me a hug?"

"I am pleased to see you, mother, and I do wish to give you a hug, but with your actions this afternoon, I do not trust you. I only hope that I can trust you once you are well again."

"You are wise not to trust me, but you are foolish to trust Robin and the other Titans. They have lied to you about my being ill simply because they want me back. They do not think I can manage on my own."

"So to prove that, you turn against your shokala? You use the kavek lian on Kim'r and myself because you are well? Mother, you have become someone I do not know. The Empress Koriand'r I know is deeply in love with Robin, and she was kind enough to adopt me as her son. How do you explain these changes in you, mother, except that Vern'a is correct, and the radiation from the engine pulse has effected you."

Starfire looked confused for a moment, and Nie'l noticed a change in her expression. "Vern'a? But it was Robin who placed the information in the paper."

"As leader of the Titans, Prince of Tamaran, and your husband, it was his responsibility to do so. Do you think that the paper would have run a story from someone claiming to be a healer from Tamaran?"

Starfire raised her hand to her head, growing more confused. She felt as though two trains of thought were trying to go through her head at the same time. "I. . . .did. . .not . . . .think of that."

"Mother, come with me to the Tower. Vern'a can give you the serum, and we can be a family."

Nie'l instinctively backed up a step when he saw Starfire's expression harden. "No, Nie'l, it is you that will come with me, either quietly, or not," she said warming up her star bolts.

"I do not think so, mother."

"You could not use your star bolts against me before, and I do not believe that you will do so now."

Nie'l barely dodged the bolt Starfire launched at him, and his return shot went true, catching her in the middle of her chest. Fortunately, he kept the power level low and only knocked her back a few feet. Nie'l watched as she got back to her feet with a growl, her hands and eyes blazing green with her anger.

"Koriand'r, covatchu!" Robin shouted as he dropped to the ground. "Enough," he repeated in English. "Mathad, don't do this. I won't let you take him."

"Mother, please."

Starfire shook her head, trying to sort out her thoughts, and Robin felt his hopes rise when she looked back up at him, and he saw the warmth for him in her eyes.

"Robin?" she called softly, her voice shaky.

"Yes, Star, fight it. You can do it."

"My love, what is happening to me? I have done things, I do not understand why or how."

"It's alright, Kori. Vern'a can help you. She's at the Tower." Robin slowly walked over to her, and he sighed happily when she raised her hand and cupped his cheek.

"I. . . .do not," she began, then groaned as if in pain, and Robin stepped back in shock when she looked back at him. The warmth in her eyes was gone, replaced by the green glow of her star bolt energy. So complete was Robin's surprise at the change in her, that he never saw the left hook she threw coming, and he bounced off the tree he had been in.

"Mother! No!" Nie'l shouted as he crossed over to where Robin was leaning against the tree, trying to get his breath back. Realizing that Starfire was now beyond convincing to come to the Tower, he triggered the distress beacon on Robin's communicator.

"This is more proof of how the Titans have poisoned you against me. I told you to tell no one of this meeting, yet you obviously told Robin."

"And it was good that I did. If I had not, you would have taken me. What were you planning on doing with me, Koriand'r? What use could I be to you except to be the start of an interstellar war between Tamaran and Earth?"

Nie'l's tone of voice, and the fact that he called her by name rather than mother, caused Starfire to stagger back a step. "My holding you will keep Robin, and what Tamaraneans are with you from coming after me."

Nie'l's eyes and hands now glowed at full intensity. "Back away, Koriand'r. I will not let you hurt him, nor will I let you take me!"

"Nor will we," Kim'r said as she came out of Raven's aura. "Koriand'r, stand down, your attempt to kidnap Nie'l has failed."

Nie'l noticed that Koriand'r took a step backwards, her star bolts cooling as she shook her head. He looked over, and saw that Raven had her eyes closed and one hand extended towards Starfire. "I can help you, shalay'fa, if you'll let me."

"I do not need help!" Starfire shouted, and Raven's head jerked back as if she had been slapped in the face. Before any of them could react, she flew off.

Kim'r sighed as she watched her empress fly off. "It is as Vern'a said, she is not believing that there is anything wrong with her.

"She's convinced that there isn't."

"You're right, Robin. Even deep in her mind, she's certain that there is nothing wrong with her. She believes that we are the ones with the problem."

"Nie'l, return to the Tower with Raven. There is something I must discuss with Robin, in private." Nie'l nodded, and Kim'r and Robin watched as Raven enveloped him with her power, and they both vanished. She looked over at Robin for a moment, and found him looking back at her, curiosity written across his face. "Vern'a and Galfore believe they have devised a way for you to make it easier to administer the serum to Koriand'r." she stepped over to him, and handed him a crystal. "Wear this. Galfore has a plan in motion that will deliver the other half of this. When the bond forms, your sense of honor and discipline will give Koriand'r the stability she needs, so that you will be able to reason with her, and administer the serum."

Robin took the crystal and looked at the translucent, off white, shard. With a small sigh he clasped the chain around his neck and slid it under both his shirt, and his armor. "I hope I'll be able to do what you hope."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Beast Boy yawned as he headed back to his room from the kitchen. The sounding of the distress beacon earlier had reminded him that he had missed eating dinner. He stuffed the last bit of his tofu burger into his mouth and chewed as he walked.

"You did not pass on all the information I gave you to Kim'r, and therefore Robin does not know the danger your plan puts him in," He heard Vern'a's voice say.

"It is of no consequence, as it would make no difference to his decision to go through with the plan," Galfore's voice answered. "To us, Kim'r, Shel'b, and Chr's, it is an effort to return our Empress to sanity; to him it is far more than that. She is the one he loves. He would take any risk for her, no matter how dangerous."

"I have cautioned you that his mind may not be strong enough. He is only human, after all."

"It will have to be. He is the only one that she will trust in the situation she will be in when the bond is formed."

Beast Boy heard Vern'a's heavy sigh. "Despite what you think, Galfore, he should be told."

"And I assure you, Healer, that it will not matter to him."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Because, long ago there was a woman that I would have let nothing stop me from saving, if there had been anything I could have done. Even to the point of trading places with her." There was a moment's silence then Galfore sighed heavily. "I am certain he will be able to handle it."

"And if he can not, both could be lost. How long do you think Nie'l will rule with the two of them gone? Or is that what you wish, to ascend to the throne in his place? If that is so, you will find that my opposition to you to be formidable."

"You would challenge me, Healer?"

"My oath as a healer binds me to prevent any harm from befalling all of the Royal Family. I do agree that your plan, to use the Shinrah Crystals to bolster Koriand'r's normal restraint, is viable. However, if you are using this to eliminate, Koriand'r, Nie'l, and Robin, so that you may usurp the throne, I will do all that I can to prevent it."

"Rest easy, Vern'a. My loyalty is to Koriand'r, and those she holds dear. I have come to respect Robin, and I believe he will have the mental discipline to handle what will happen."

Vern'a sighed again. "Although I do have my doubts about that, I do agree with you that it would not make a difference in his decision to go through with the plan, may X'Hal watch over them both.

Beast Boy heard footsteps approaching the door, and he quickly morphed into a fly and few off. He flew down the hall, and clung to the wall until Galfore had come out of Vern'a's room and entered his own. Morphing back into human form, he looked at the door before him, and struggled with the decision to knock on the door. Making up his mind, he rose his fist to knock, but was surprised when the door slid open. "Raven, I need to talk to you."

"So I can sense," She replied, standing aside so he could enter her room. "What has you so worried?"

"A conversation I just overheard between Vern'a, and Galfore." He was silent for a moment, trying to think of how to say what he wanted, then realized that Raven would prefer it straight our and direct. "With your bonds with Robin and Starfire, you know their minds the best. What do you think would happen if Star suddenly got her crystal back?"

I'm not sure. I know he was slowing the progression of her condition, even if he didn't know about it. Why?"

Beast Boy related the conversation he overheard while Raven listened intently. "I do know they're right, though. Robin wouldn't care if there was any danger to him."

"You're right about that, but what do we do about this, is the big question. I will admit that Robin has one of the strongest minds I've come across, but I honestly don't know if he'll be able to handle the stress of coming back into contact with Starfire's mind in it's present state."

"But you'd be able to help him, right?"

Raven eyed him curiously, "Yes, to some extent. How did you know that?"

Beast Boy chuckled softly. "Come on, Raven. With all those years I spent in the Doom Patrol with Mento, I thought you would have realized that I had to learn something about telepathy and empathy."

Raven looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked over at Beast Boy. "You do know that Robin and Starfire aren't the only ones I have a bond with, right?"

"Well, duh. I mean you spent less than five minutes in Robin's mind to form the one with him, while Cyborg and I were in your mind for almost half a day."

"So you know about it? Why didn't you. . . . "

"Take advantage of it and pry into your mind? Three reasons. First, you're my friend and I do respect your privacy. Second, I don't have a death wish, and I know you'd kill me for the intrusion, and third, goes back to Mento. He taught me well."

"Wait, you've known, but not even tried to get into my mind? If you've known, how have you been making it seem as though you didn't know it existed?"

"One of the first things I had to learn around Mento was how to block my thoughts . I'll admit I'm a little out of practice, but I hope I haven't given you much trouble, and I hope you're not upset that I kinda sealed off the bond."

Beast Boy noticed that Raven had closed her eyes as she concentrated. A moment later they opened in surprise. "I never thought that you. . . . .Garfield, I owe you an apology."

"Hey, it's okay, Raven. I know what you think of me. The practical jokester that takes very little seriously." he looked down at the floor in embarrassment. "Except for your friendship with me. That I take very seriously as I know how difficult it is for you to trust people enough to call them a friend. Let me show you something."

Raven watched as Beast Boy closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. She gasped in surprise as various fragments of battles they have fought in flash through her mind, some more vividly than others. Beast Boy, as a ram slamming into a Slade bot when they prevented the theft of a computer chip. The same happening to Robin, as Red X, in the subway. His stopping to ask if she was alright while the others headed for the roof to fight Malchior in dragon form, and later his telling her that she she's not alone, and her giving him a hug. The fourth of July when Mad Mod had Robin captive and they were battling Mod's robots, and a green T-rex smashing one right before it shot at her.

When the images faded, she found that her hugging Beast Boy repeated itself, and she saw that he was smiling nervously as he looked at her. "Umm, I thought that I'd show you that I can use the bond, and how I feel about you."

"Garfield," Raven began, and saw his surprise at her not using his given name to taunt him, "you're right that I think of you as a jokester, but beneath that, I've always sensed that you were acting that way to help the team. Azar knows that between Robin and myself things can get a bit depressing, but you tried to lighten the mood before it gets too depressing. Before you and Cyborg helped me get my anger under control in my mind, I thought of you as my friend, but after your actions when Malchior did what he did, that grew, but I couldn't let myself feel or express that."

"Yeah, I know, your powers."

"We've both gone through some changes, and things that have happened recently have made me look at myself and other things differently. So. . . .umm. . . . .I. . .what would you say if we tried getting closer?"

"Ooookkaaayyy," Beast Boy said in disbelief. "I know you're not like Starfire, or Terra, and you don't like hugs, but maybe I can just hold your hand?"

Beast Boy was surprised to see Raven smile, "That would be a good place to start."

**A/N** For those of you that have read my one shots, you'll probably recognize this as a shortened version of _Changes_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

The next morning, Robin got up a little earlier than usual, as he wanted to have a few words with Chr's before Raven joined him on the roof. He let the door to the stairs close behind him and he started walking toward the silhouette of the Tamaranean against the lights of the city. "Good morning, Chr's." Robin was surprised when Chr's walked over to him, and dropped to his right knee.

"Good morning, Highness. Captain Kim'r has spoken with me, but I wish to give you my personal apologies, and assurance that it was only in the course of my duty as Nie'l's proctor that I said what I did."

Robin motioned for Chr's to stand up. "I understand, and accept your apology, Commander. I've given Kim'r my word that I would not ask what it was that you said, and that I would let the matter drop, but I do have one question for you."

"I will answer, if I can, Highness."

Robin looked off towards the distant lights of the city. "Did you hold back at all when you were testing him?"

Chr's smiled softly at the concern in Robin's voice, that Nie'l might have been given special treatment due to his being Emperor, and Robin's son. "No, Robin, I did not. I give you my word that I treated him as I would have any other candidate, actually, I might have been tougher on him due to my familiarity with him."

Chr's was surprised to see the soft smile on Robin's face when he faced him. "Thank you, Chr's. I had expected as much, but I had to ask."

"I understand your concern, Robin. I only hope that when I have children, that they make me as proud of them as you must be of Nie'l."

"As proud, maybe, but I don't think you could be prouder," Robin said smiling. "From what I've been hearing from his instructors, he's one of the finest pupils they've had the privilege to teach." He was silent for a moment, and Chr's could tell that there was more on his mind. "Chr's, how does he seem to be holding up with what's been going on with Starfire? He puts up a strong front for me, I know, but I'm hoping that he's actually dealing with it as well as it seems."

Chr's looked off into the distance for a moment. "He is amazingly. . . . .resilient, Robin. I would say that he has learned a great deal from you, as he is extraordinarily good at hiding his feelings. To say it is bothering him would be an understatement, but he is handling it far better than I think I would have been able to at his age."

"Am I a bad influence on him then, if I'm teaching him to hide his feelings?"

"May I speak openly, Highness?"

"Always, Chr's."

"Robin, as I said, you are very good at hiding your feelings, but you know when to let them show through to those you call friend and those you care about. Kim'r, Shel'b, and myself, are your friends, but Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy are far closer to you than we are. When you spoke with them, when Galfore arrived, I could see the concern on your face as they told you of their findings at the xenothium site, but when you turned back to us, you were composed and calm. To be able to do that, and especially knowing when to do it, makes you a cunning warrior and a gifted tactician. As I get to know you better, I can see more clearly why you are the leader of the Titans, and why Shel'b speaks so highly of you as a Commander."

Whatever Robin was going to say, in reply, was cut off by Raven phasing up through the roof a few feet away. "You're up early."

"I wanted to talk to Chr's before you got up here."

"I thought you might, when I saw your e-mail this morning."

"I figured, knowing Cyborg like I do, that he's going to discuss whatever is on that video with you guys, and I wanted it clear that it is something I do not want to talk about, or even know about."

"Highness, Raven, it you will excuse me, I will leave you now."

"Why don't you join us, Chr's ? I don't mean while we're meditating, but after, to watch the sunrise."

"I would not wish to intrude on your time, Raven."

"You wouldn't be, Chr's," Robin said. "Shel'b and Kim'r have been joining us for the last few days."

"Thank you. I have been most curious of what Shelana speaks of concerning the rising of the sun on this world."

"Shelana?" Robin asked, smiling. He chuckled softly when Chr's blushed as he realized that he had slipped. "It's okay, Chr's, you're among friends. Besides, you know I call Starfire, Kori."

"Just don't let Beast Boy hear you call her that, or Cyborg for that matter," Raven added. "They love to tease."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

About two hours later, breakfast had been eaten at the Tower. Cyborg was going over the security tapes of the night, Raven was in her room either meditating or reading, and Beast Boy was trying to beat Mega Monkeys 4.

Robin walked over to the small table in the training room, and picked up one of the small towels that were stacked on it. He tossed it to Chr's, and grabbed another one, which he used to wipe the sweat from his face.

"I am most impressed with your training," Chr's said as he also wiped his face dry. "It is small wonder that you fared so when you accompanied Koriand'r on her inspection tour of the fleet. Depending on who is our instructor in hand to hand combat, we only learn one style of fighting, while you have several and improvised on those to mesh with your own physical abilities."

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but his communicator started beeping and he answered it. "Robin, do you know where Chr's is?"

"He's standing right next to me, Cyborg. What's up?"

"We might have a problem. You know that section of the videos from last night, that you don't want me to discuss with you?"

Robin didn't like the nervous tone of Cyborg's voice. "Yeah."

"Well, Nie'l came in, while I was viewing it. He just left, and he's not very happy. In fact, I'd say he's really upset, and I can't say that I blame him."

"Great. Thanks, Cy, I'll keep an eye out for him."

As it turned out, seeing him didn't occur first. His voice rang out even before he entered the training room, so angry that his eyes glowed bright red as did his hands. "Keval Chr's, shu vaya aparova san qumo shu jera feshan ne shamana, Koriand'r! Shu vaya naf xana shal fet verla, bu pe vaya vechana shu a I shavek hifa!"

Under other circumstances, Robin might have been amused by a ten year old threatening someone almost twice his age, but seeing as Nie'l had use of his star bolts, he was far from laughing. "Nie'l, Lishka!" he shouted, bringing the youngster up short. "Chr's will not apologize, and you will not challenge him to an honor battle."

"Nie'l's hands remained charged, but his eyes stopped glowing as he regarded Robin as if he was insane. "Shokata, father, he called her. . . . .then he called you. . . . ." he sputtered. "I chel zalopa, e i troq suvasha e sha olivom."

Robin stiffened at what Nie'l had said. He looked over at Chr's, "A little brat, and a Troq servant and her slave?" He took a deep breath, "I can see why Kim'r didn't want me to know what it was that you said, and why Nie'l reacted as he did." He sighed heavily, remembering what Kim'r had told him last night. "Nie'l, two questions. First, do you normally punish a warrior for doing his duty; and second, do you wish to take the trial over again?"

No, I would not punish a warrior for doing his or her duty. Why do you ask?"

"Because that is what Chr's was doing, my lord."

"I do not understand, Captain."

"What Kim'r means, is that Chr's's job as one of the proctors of your trial was to try to make you angry enough to lose control," Robin explained. "When he couldn't do that by fighting you to a standstill, he used other measures."

"He used his personal knowledge of you, Robin and Koriand'r, to try to push you past your limits," Kim'r continued, "You got angry, in fact, you got simply furious, but you never lost control. You did not remember much of the trial because of the Vartoch sap in your system. When it enhances the anger you feel, it interferes with memory."

"I can assure you, Nie'l, that Chr's didn't mean what he said."

"At least not anymore," Chr's said under his breath. He looked up and saw that Robin and Nie'l were both giving him an angry glare.

Kim'r chuckled when she saw that Chr's realized that he had been heard. "Chr's was assigned to the Palace Guard right before Koriand'r took her Oath of Acceptance, and he did not have the nicest opinion of her."

"Until the day she was taken by the Gordanians," Chr's said. "I thought her a spoiled brat of a Princess, and that she should have been more like her sister, Komand'r. It was only later that I realized that it was not because of any actions on Koriand'r's part, but from the way that her parents treated her and Komand'r. I give you my word that I no longer think of her that way."

"What was it about the day the Gordanians took her that changed your mind, Chr's?"

Chr's took a deep breath, and started pacing as he answered Nie'l's question. "As Kim'r said I was assigned to the Palace Guard when the Gordanians delivered their ultimatum. Also like Kim'r, I was one of the ones who wanted to fight, rather than meekly surrender our Princess to them. We were reading ourselves for the battle, most of us knowing it would be our last, when Koriand'r came to us and asked us not to fight, as it was in her power to save our lives by her sacrificing her freedom by going with the Gordanians. She showed us. . .me, that she was not simply a pampered Princess, but truly a warrior. One that I would follow into battle without hesitation." He paused, looking off into nowhere then turned back to Nie'l. "So you see, my lord, I did not mean what I said about her. I knew that if anything would get you angry, to the point of losing control, saying what I did about her and Robin would. I am very glad that it did not."

"Commander, I wish to apologize. I should have known that you did not mean what you said."

Chr's opened his mouth to speak, but the alarm chose that moment to sound. He watched as Robin pulled out and opened his communicator, his mouth forming a thin line when he saw the display.

"It's X again. He robbing a jewel exhibit at a jewelry store downtown," he said, then switched his communicator to call the others at once.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Red X looked hungrily at the large diamond and ruby in their display cases. "Piece of cake," he said softly as he produced an X shaped blade and deftly cut a circular hole in the glass over the diamond. Putting the golf ball sized gem into a pocket, he repeated the procedure for the ruby, but stopped at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Well I can see you were honest with me about one thing, X. You're still just a lowly thief."

"Just so you know, kid, but I'm not the only one here to see you."

Robin looked to the right where X had pointed and saw Starfire hovering a few feet off the floor, her eyes and hands already glowing.

"Robin. . . ." Raven said in warning, but never got to finish her warning for him to look out, as Starfire let loose with an eye beam star bolt combination that blasted the Boy Wonder back against the wall.

"I will not underestimate you again! Rrah, ha Rrraah!" she shouted as she threw more star bolts at where Robin had slammed against the wall. There was silence as the others, including X gaped at Starfire in astonishment. "No!" They heard Starfire gasp, as the smoke cleared, and Robin became visible. Most of the front of his shirt had been blasted away, revealing the Tamaranean armor beneath.

"Titans, take her down." he gritted out Shel'b, Chr's, and the Titans started toward where Starfire.

"What's the matter, kid? Don't you want to play?" X said, planting himself in Robin's way. "Don't worry, she's more angry at you than them, so she'll be easy on them," he added when Robin glanced around him to where the others had started fighting. _'Besides, it's better that you fight against me than her, for both your sakes,'_ he thought. _'I don't care what she says, there's something between them. Even that old madman Chang could see that.'_

Robin blocked the kick that X threw at him and found himself locked in a fierce battle, as was the rest of the team.

Raven used her powers to keep Cyborg from being slammed into the wall, then she, Cyborg and beast Boy rejoined Shel'b and Chr's in trying to capture Starfire. Unfortunately, Starfire didn't want any part of going with them. Raven saw that Cyborg had his sonic cannon ready to fire, so she started to use her telekinesis to hold the redhead still for the shot. Her concentration was broken when she gasped in surprise when a young girl's voice called out.

"Starfire, no! The Teen Titans are your friends! Don't hurt them!"

Raven and the others gasped when the recognized the little girl in the doorway to the store, she was the one that visited her in the hospital.

"Rachel, no! Get out of here!" she heard Robin shout, then saw the look on Starfire's face. Acting quickly she extended both her hands towards the youngster, she formed a bubble of her power over her just in time to block the star bolts that Starfire had launched. Letting some of her anger bubble to the surface, Raven kept her left hand pointed at Rachel, maintaining the shield while she drew her right hand back, holding a globe of her dark energy, ready to throw it like a star bolt.

"I don't want to hurt you, Shalay'fa," she said, hoping to get Starfire to back down a little.

Starfire met Raven's gaze with an angry glare for a moment. "It is a pity I do not feel the same, Demon spawn!"

Raven was stunned by Starfire calling her that, and she recoiled a step, her hands falling to her sides, her concentration shattered. Starfire took advantage of the situation and blasted the dark Titan with an eye beam star bolt combination as Rachel dashed out the door.

Beast Boy was several feet behind Raven trying to decided what to morph into to help, when he saw Raven flying towards him from the star bolt blast. He quickly morphed into a gorilla and deftly caught her. Very gently he lay her on the ground. Determining she was still alive, he looked up with a growl, his face a study in primate fury. With a ear shattering roar he leapt at Starfire, and she nimbly avoided the green gorilla's doubled fists. However, she couldn't avoid his backhand swat that slammed her back into a wall.

Thinking to attack while Starfire was still dazed by the impact with the wall, Beast Boy leapt at her again, but another combination shot from Starfire sent him back along his flight path. Morphing back to human form in mid air, he landed in a crouch and shook his head to clear it. "That does it. It's time to get this over with."

Robin turned when Red X dropped his guard and stared at something thing with a shocked gasp. He flinched as he turned as Beast Boy had morphed into his primal animal form and gave an ear splitting, hair raising howl. He watched in amazement at how fast the creature moved as it charged at Starfire.

The barrage of star bolts and eye beams that she launched at him didn't even slow him down as he managed to dodge them. She braced herself for his attack, but at the last moment Beast Boy lowered his shoulder, slamming it into her midriff and they both crashed through the wall into the next room.

Through the ragged hole the others could hear and see signs of the struggle. There were several green flashes and snarls then there was a moment of silence after a particularly bright green flash and a yelp. Everyone jumped when Starfire came crashing back through the wall followed by Beast Boy, still in primal form, his left shoulder scorched and slightly smoking. With a single leap he reached her side and scooped her unconscious form up, one hand grabbing her knees, the other her neckpiece and he raised her over his head, intending to slam her to the ground with all his strength.

'_Garfield, no!'_ Raven's 'voice' shouted in his head, snapping him out of his rage. He gently lay Starfire on the floor and gazed at her a moment before resuming human form.

"Beast Boy?" Robin called softly, and the green changeling looked around the room at the shocked expressions of his friends.

"What have I done?" he practically whispered, shame, fear, and embarrassment washing over his face, then he ran from the room.

Forgetting their fight for the moment, Robin and Red X dashed to Starfire's side. Robin barely got there first, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found her pulse.

"Take her," X said, drawing a surprised look from Robin. "Take her and get out of here."

"I don't think you're going to get that chance, Robin," a voice said from the shadows of the hole Beast Boy and Starfire had made in the wall. Recognizing the sound of the voice, Robin stood, and pulled a staff from it's clip and extended it. He felt his anger flare as he watched Slade step from the shadows. "I'm so glad to see the two of you together. Now I'm certain that I'm not dealing with you in disguise again, Robin."

Without a sound, Robin launched himself at Slade, planning on planting his feet in the man's chest, but a Sladebot intercepted him and sent him flying toward a wall. Turning himself in the air, he managed to plant his feet on the wall, and bent his knees to absorb the impact. With a shout, he pushed off and hurled himself at the bot, hitting it so hard with his staff that it's head went flying and smashed into a wall and shattered.

"Titans, go!" he shouted as several more bots poured through the hole in the wall and took up fighting stances. "Shel'b, Chr's, protect Raven! X and I will protect Starfire!"

The plan was a good one, except for one thing. The bots and Slade showed no interest at all in the unconscious Raven; Robin and X soon found themselves grossly out numbered. Not that this slowed them down in the slightest as the y took down bot after bot, working together as if they trained for years together, much as they did against Chang's henchmen.

After a while, the number of bots still fighting had dropped dramatically and at a command from Slade, they turned to Cyborg and the Tamaraneans, leaving Robin and X to face Slade.

"It appears you have a problem with the number in your team, Robin. Two unconscious, and one other run off. Sloppy, I expected better from you."

"As if I care about your expectations of me." Robin countered as he threw a kick at Slade's face. Slade bent backwards slightly and Robin's foot breezed by his face, missing by inches. "Hummm, not bad, you've improved."

Robin thought he was going to comment further, but X moved in and managed to hit Slade with a couple of exploding X's which Slade blocked with his forearm guards. They didn't hurt him, but they did send him backwards a few feet.

Moving quickly, Robin lunged at Slade, and managed to lad a solid punch to his jaw, and Slade went down.

"Vido'an, sho vata trevana, Koriand'r!"

At Shel'b's shout, Robin turned and saw that three Sladebots were picking Starfire up and were going to carry her off. He was about to jump on them when he heard a painful cry from behind him. He turned in time to see Slade throw Red X at him and he had just enough time to realize that X's left arm was bent at an unnatural angle before he slammed into him, knocking him into a display case that collapsed on top of them. He tried to get out from under the debris, but the combination of Red X's weight and the shattered display case was to much for him to shift. "NNNooooooo!!" he bellowed helplessly, as he watched the bots take Starfire.

A moment later, Robin heard Cyborg grunting as he strained to lift the debris off him and X. "Forget about us, go stop them!"

"No can do, Robin. There's a bomb out here that I don't have time to disarm. We've gotta get you, X, and Raven outta here before it goes off."

Robin growled in frustration as he waited for Cyborg, Shel'b and Chr's to dig him and X out. "Cyborg, you and the others get X and Raven out of here, I'm going after Slade." He had taken only two steps toward the hole in the wall when there was a small explosion and smoke and dust poured through it. Glaring at the now sealed off escape route, he coughed on the dust, then he became aware of a soft beeping from off to his right.

"Highness, we must go," Shel'b said softly. "She is beyond our reach for the moment."

Robin shrugged out from under the hand she had put on his shoulder and looked over at the bomb. The display was down to twenty seconds, and the device was completely encased in metal, preventing any attempt at disarming it. "Let's get outta here."

Outside, Chr's and Cyborg had coordinated with the police and cleared the street of people. Shel'b gently dropped Robin to the street behind the barricade just before there was a muffled boom and a gout of flame shot out from the windows of the shop.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N To all those who have been patiently waiting for this update I deeply apologize for neglecting this fic for so long. I was participating in the NaNoWriMo writing challenge and was focusing on that.

I thank you all for your patience.

Chapter 13

The ride back to the Tower was silent. Once they had gotten there, Cyborg had set Red X's, arm and he was in one of the medical beds, a healing lamp bathing the break in it's rays. Two beds down, Raven lay, floating a few inches above the mattress and covers in a healing trance. The door sighed open and the new arrival moved towards the bed where the dark Titan lay.

"Raven," Beast Boy said softly, his voice full of concern. He stopped by the head of the bed, his hand reaching up and gently stroking her cheek. He spun around when he heard the door open a short time later. "Robin! Dude, I am so sorry. I don't know what happened out there. I lost control." He looked down sadly and held out his left hand holding his communicator. "You'd better take this. I'll be in one of the holding cells." He placed the communicator in Robin's hand then headed for the door.

Robin had watched through the window in the door before he came in, and he saw Beast Boy's actions. Several things clicked together in his mind, especially when he remembered seeing him and Raven walking down the hall outside the training room. "Beast Boy, wait."

Beast Boy stopped at the door, and turned. "Robin, I know what you're going to try to do, but there is no way I can excuse what I almost did. That's where I've been for the last hour and a half, trying to figure it out myself. Robin, I almost killed Starfire before. If it hadn't been for Raven's shout, I would have. Then I let the team down by running off."

"What do you mean by Raven's shout? Beast Boy she was laying on the floor, unconscious."

Beast Boy's face showed his confusion. "When I had Star held above my head, I clearly heard Raven call me, and tell me no."

As Beast Boy spoke, Robin watched as he moved back to Raven's side, and took her hand in his. He changed the subject. "So, are you and Raven. . . .going out?"

"Pretty much. We're taking it slow. Like you and Star, we've faced the fact that we care for each other more then just as friends, but she's still getting used to being able to express her emotions." Robin watched as he took off his gloves, held her hand in his right, and smoothed her hair with his left.

Before Robin could say anything, Cyborg came in. "BB, what were you thinking?!" he demanded. "Do you have any idea. . . . ?"

"Cyborg!" Robin said sharply, stopping the big man's tirade. He nodded towards Beast Boy, who stood there, his head bowed. "He knows."

Cyborg saw the communicator that Robin was holding up, then looked over at the green Titan, and realized that he wasn't defending himself. He also saw that he was holding Raven's hand, and his anger left him in a heavy sigh. "She's going to be fine, Beast Boy."

The only reply Beast Boy made was to nod his head. Robin waited while Cyborg checked the monitors for both Raven and Red X and left. "Beast Boy, I think Star would understand, and to be honest, I do too."

Beast Boy sighed in relief as he took back the communicator Robin held out to him. "I promise I won't morph into that creature, unless absolutely necessary."

Robin looked to the side for a moment, knowing just how Beast Boy had felt when Starfire attacked Raven. "Beast Boy, you were the only one that made any impact on Starfire. If it hadn't been for Slade showing up, we'd have her back right now.

"You don't mind if I stay here til she wakes up, do you?"

Robin smiled softly at the question. "Actually, I'd be surprised if you didn't, no matter what I say."

Beast Boy chuckled lightly. "You're right, you'd have a hard time keeping me out," he said, then morphed into a fly and buzzed around the room before morphing back into human form.

A short time later, Chr's came into the med-lab, and paused as a green wolf stood up from where it was laying next to Raven's bed and growled deep in it's chest. "Be at peace, Friend Beast Boy. I am only here to keep watch on him."

Beast Boy took human form, and looked over at where Red X still lay. "Sorry, Chr's. You startled me. I guess that means you're taking this watch?"

Chr's nodded and took a seat in a chair down by Red X's bed, and he smiled as Beast Boy morphed into a green kitten, leapt up on Raven's bed, and curled up into a ball at her feet. It wasn't long before the door opened again and Shel'b glided over to Chr's.

"I do not understand why Robin insists on posting a live guard in here. It can not be because he feels there is a threat to Titan Raven."

"At least not from him," Chr's said, motioning toward the green furry ball at Raven's feet. "A threat to the Empress he may be, but not to her. May I ask what brings you here, Commander?"

Shel'b glanced over at the kitten on Raven's bed, and saw that he had not moved and was apparently asleep. "It is that, between training and searching for the Empress, we have not had much time to ourselves."

"Well, we are not exactly alone here, Shelana, and I am supposed to be watching the prisoner."

"A prisoner who is strapped down tightly, and unconscious with a broken arm. Robin is in one of the training rooms sparing with Kim'r, Cyborg is down in the garage doing the tinkering on the T-car. That leaves, Raven and Beast Boy and they are both here, oblivious to us."

"But duty is duty, my love. Although I will admit it is not so tedious with you here." Chr's stood and they embraced for a moment, then gently touched foreheads. They both jumped when they heard Beast Boy softly clear his throat.

The green changeling chuckled softly as the couple blushed. "You might want to contact Robin. Raven is coming out of her trance."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Kim'r may have been in the same training room as Robin, but they were not sparring. If the situation had not been so bad, Kim'r might have smiled softly as she realized that Robin, in this state, was someone she would actually fear to face in combat. She watched his as he stood, surrounded by slowly swinging heavy bags, his staff in his hand and a blindfold on. She winced at the sound of the first impact of his staff on one of the bags, and she shook her head ruefully as his movements quickly sped up. She gasped when Robin threw aside his staff and pulled two birdarangs from his belt and slapped them together. The sword that was formed made quick work of the bags and they spilled their contents of sand onto the floor.

"Beast Boy's decision was correct, Highness."

Robin spun toward the unexpected voice, his sword snapping up to the ready position. He stood that way for a moment then sighed heavily as he removed the blindfold. "Part of me agrees with you, Kim'r, but he's more than a team mate, he's a friend."

"And what of Koriand'r?" Kim'r countered and drew her own sword and brought it to the ready.

He didn't answer right away, but went on the offensive. After a few swipes, he managed to get past her guard and scored by touching the flat of his blade to the side of her neck.

Kim'r stepped back and saluted him and Robin turned to take a few steps away. "That's the part of me that agrees with you." He turned and brought his sword to the ready.

"If you are having such a problem maintaining discipline in your team, perhaps you are not the best choice to lead it." Kim'r barely parried Robin's cut, and found herself on the defensive again. She was stunned when she suddenly found herself weaponless as her blade went flying through the air to land several feet away. She was even more surprised when Robin tossed his weapon aside and came at her bare handed.

"I'm the only one who can lead the Titans," he insisted as he threw punch after punch at Kim'r. "None of the others can or will do it."

Kim'r realized that Robin was fighting out of anger, as she found his attack easy to counter. The next time he threw a punch, she grabbed his wrist and deftly threw him across the room. "That is right, Robin, get it out of your system," she muttered as she watched him land in a crouch and come at her again. "It is because you let your feelings for them interfere with you leadership."

Robin growled as he lunged at Kim'r again, raining punches as rapidly as he could, only to find them blocked almost effortlessly. "Our friendship is what makes us such a good team. I won't keep my feelings to myself. I tried that once and it almost ripped me apart. Without my friends, I'm no better than Slade, and I will not go down that road. Our friendships make us stronger because we fight for each other, not because we feel we have to, but because we want to."

Grabbing the next hand that Robin threw at her, Kim'r neatly grabbed it and tossed him a few feet away. "Enough, Highness. With you fighting in this state, you are too easy an opponent. Calm your mind. Do not think that you are alone in your feelings for both Koriand'r or your friend Raven."

"Robin, this is Chr's. Beast Boy says that Raven is about to wake up and that you should get up here."

Robin crossed over to the intercom unit and pressed a button on it. "I'm on my way."

"Highness, you are correct. You and your friends do fight better and are stronger for your friendships. You all draw strength from each other. I know there are those who would say that the problems caused when one of the team leaves outweigh the advantages, but I disagree. Come, let us go see how Raven is doing."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

By the time Kim'r and Robin had reached the med-lab, everyone else was there, with one noticeable exception.

"Where 's Beast Boy?"

"Right after I called you, he left saying he would be right back," Chr's replied.

As if on cue, the green Titan came into the room carrying a thermos and a cup. Before Robin had a chance to ask anything, Raven moaned once then sat upright.

"Garfield, no!" she gasped.

"It's okay, Raven. You stopped me," Beast Boy assured her..

Raven turned her head and looked at him. "I could feel your anger at her, and how in your primal form it flared into rage. I couldn't let. . . ." she said, then trailed off when she realized they weren't alone in he room.

"Herbal tea?" Beast Boy opened the thermos, and poured some of the steaming beverage into the cup.

"Thanks," she said, and he knew that she meant not just for the cup of tea, but for using it to cover her embarrassment at what she almost said in front of every one. She took the cup and sipped the aromatic brew. "This is really good, Beast Boy."

"So, Raven, are you alright now?"

"I'm a little sore, Robin, that's all. What happened after. . . . .?"

"I've got a pretty good idea on how you stopped Beast Boy, and after you did and he had a moment to consider things, he ran off. Red X told me to take Starfire and get her out of there, but Slade showed up with a bunch of Sladebots, and ended up taking her," Robin recapped. "Now that you're better, we'll start searching for Slade again."

Raven gave Robin a disbelieving look. "You don't really expect me to believe you haven't been searching for Slade since you first found out that he had a reward out for Starfire's capture, do you?" Robin's only reply was silence and an angry glare.

"Right," she said, then with a soft grunt swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She almost smiled at the surprised look from Cyborg as beast Boy put his arm around her shoulders, giving her support, and she didn't shrug him off or complain. She felt Beast Boy's concern as she groaned softly as she straightened up, but she put it to the back of her mind. "Have you got an idea where Slade might be?"

"I've got some leads. Some I'm checking out by computer, and the main one is right there," Robin replied, and pointed at the still unconscious Red X.

"I'm gong to the roof to meditate and finish healing," she said, then looked over at Beast Boy. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" The green Titan nodded and followed her out of the room.

"So, they are a couple?"

"Looks like it, Kim'r," Robin replied, "From the way they act towards each other, it's hard to believe they're even friends."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Thanks for stopping me, Raven. When I think of how close I came to. . . . "

"I know. I could feel how much it shook you up. Beast Boy, your anger is what makes that creature so powerful, but you've got to learn to control it." Raven said as they walked. "I can help you with that, if you want me to. If you'll let me."

"I'd like that, but not right now," Beast Boy said, then looked over at her. "Raven, why did you lie to Robin? You're more then just a little sore."

"I could fight if necessary, and besides, Robin has enough to worry about without worrying about me."

"You could fight, huh? Maybe enough to get out of a paper bag, but not much longer. .oofff!" Beast Boy said, but cut off as a red star bolt slammed into him, knocking him back into a wall.

"Shu fenama ne shamana!" Nie'l shouted as he stood in the middle of the corridor, his eyes and hands glowing bright red. "You will not attack her again!"

"Nie'l, Stop!" Raven shouted as several star bolts blasted against the protective bubble she had formed over the dazed changeling.

"How can you defend him? You are her shalay'fa. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Yes, I am her shalay'fa," Raven replied, "and you have no idea how much that meant to me, but he is my shalocfano."

"Shesas?"

"Yes, really. Nie'l, Starfire attacked me first, knowing it would make the others angry. She simply didn't realize how angry it would make him."

"Raven!" Beast Boy gasped as she fell to her knees with a groan, the shielding bubble vanishing. "I told you that you weren't strong enough yet." He took her arm and draped it around his shoulders, and put his arm around her and helped her to her feet. "There's no way you going to the roof now."

"And just how do you plan to stop me?"

Beast Boy ignored the glare she was giving him, and started walking again. "As weak as you are now, that wouldn't be too hard."

"I am sorry I attacked you, Friend Beast Boy."

"It's alright, Nie'l. I can understand why you were so angry. I wasn't too happy with myself afterward. Nie'l, believe me that we all want Starfire back. To Raven she may be shalay'fa, or sister of her heart, but to Cyborg and I, she's like a sister to us." He was silent for a moment, then turned his head toward Raven, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Shalocfano?"

Beast Boy attention was drawn away from Raven's brightly blushing face as Nie'l chuckled then laughed. "I did not realize that she had spoken that word in Tamaranean," he managed to say. "The translation of that word into your English would be boyfriend. If she says that about you than she would be your shalocfana."

"And you find this so amusing, because?"

Nie'l's laughter dies down to an occasional chuckle. "My apologies, Friend Raven, it is just that I find the fact that you tried to hide the fact that you think of him that way by using a Tamaranean word instead of English, very funny." Suddenly his laughter stopped altogether, and his face grew slightly sad.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, really, Friend Beast Boy. It is just that I remembered what mother told me about her and Robin's getting together. How they would not face their feelings for each other."

Raven turned her head and saw that beast Boy was still looking at her, and as she looked he first smiled then laughed, causing her to smile. "We're working on that, Nie'l, we're working on it."

Beast Boy felt the arm around his shoulders tighten gently and he chuckled as he headed back down the hall to Raven's room. He stopped when they reached her door, uncertain if she wanted him to go in or if she would try to go in on her own. He watched as she raised her free hand and gestured at the door, opening it, and seeing as she wasn't making any move to take her arm from his shoulders, he went in. "Hasn't changed much," he said.

"Thanks," Raven said as she sat on the edge of her bed, and he sat beside her. "That blast took more out of me that I thought. I should have been able to hold that shield around you better."

"So, you're gonna go into another healing trance?"

"No, I just need to rest, and build my strength back up. Garfield, what I was going to say before, in the med-lab was that I couldn't let you hurt her because of your feelings for me."

"You know, you're calling me that in a nice tone of voice is going to take some getting used to," he said, then gave her a hug then stood up. "You get some rest, I'll see you later."

Raven nodded as she undid the clasp that held her cloak close then she handed it to him. "Lay that over the foot of the bed please," she said as she rolled onto her side and pulled the cover up over her.

Beast Boy would have answered, but he saw that she had fallen asleep already. He folded the cloak neatly and set it on the foot of the bed, and left.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Shortly after Beast Boy and Raven left, everyone's attention was drawn to the bed with Red X in it as he groaned, then woke up. "Oh great, just where I don't want to be."

"Relax, X, your arm is broken, but it should be healed by tonight, thanks to that lamp."

"Thanks, kid. I take it that once it's healed, there's not much chance of my just walking out of here."

"No chance at all."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

Starfire groaned softly as she regained consciousness. She tried to sit up, but found that she was securely strapped to the bed she was in. She tried to use her alien strength but the restraints didn't give, and she heard the soft crackle of electricity. Ignoring the sound, she tried harder to get free, but was rewarded with a strong electrical shock that almost knocked her back into unconsciousness.

She groaned again, and felt her anger grow when she realized where the shock had come from. _'Robin would not do this to me, so the Titans do not have me,'_ She thought. _'Shel'b and Chr's were with them, but they would not dare. . . '_

"Ah, Starfire. You're awake. Good. I've been looking forward to our meeting." a voice said off to her right, breaking the train of her thoughts. She looked in that direction and saw a masculine silhouette among the shadows. As she watched, he took a step closer and into the light.

"Slade," she said, surprising him with the lack of hatred and fear in her voice. "What is it you want with me, and where did you get this . . . .thing?"

"What I want with you, girl, I haven't decided yet," he said as he walked slowly toward her, his hands clasped behind his back. Several monitors came to life on the wall behind him. Some showing her in battle with the Titans, others showing her in more recent battles, against them. "Originally I had planned to use you to keep the Titans out of my way, but you have impressed me with your abilities, and your ruthlessness against Robin."

Starfire looked to where Slade gestured, and saw a video of Robin amid the smoke from her star bolts, his Tamaranean armor showing through his scorched and charred tunic. She felt her anger rise as she realized that he had outwitted her in combat again. A small voice in the back of her mind told her that she should be happy that he still lived and hadn't been injured, but she ignored it.

Her attention was brought back to Slade as he spoke. "I'm going to offer you the same thing I offered Terra. A chance to destroy the Teen Titans." There was a series of loud clicks as he pressed a button on a remote control and the restraints came loose.

Starfire stood and stretched loosening the kinks in her arms and legs. "I believe we have the beginning of an agreement. I destroy the Titans for you, and what do I get in return?"

"With the Titans gone, dear girl, you will rule this city by my side."

"I will not be your apprentice, Slade. I will not wear a neural suit, and I have no interest in your pathetic power on this planet. I am a member of the Royal Family of Tamaran. Ruling a city of ruthasha does not interest me, however, I will make you this offer. I will allow you to rule this city while I take the rest of the planet."

"Dear girl, even you couldn't hope to take over this planet by yourself." Starfire took a menacing step toward him, and she could just picture the smug smile on his face when she stopped at the sound of electricity crackling again. "I don't believe the suit will be necessary, but you will be wearing that collar until I decide otherwise," he said, then chuckled softly as he watched anger and frustration struggle for dominance of her expression.

Starfire's eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth, trying to keep her anger under control so that the Gordanian control collar she was wearing wouldn't shock her again. "Where. . . .did. . . . .you. . . . .get this?"

A shadow detached itself from the gloom to Slade's right, and Starfire's jaw dropped when she could see who it was "Zelo na, Koriand'r," the new arrival said.

Starfire's reaction was so swift that she managed to not only float a few feet off the ground, but got off a star bolt as well before the collar sent it's charge through her, blasting her into unconsciousness.

Slade and his companion stood over her as her body twitched as the collar sent several smaller jolts through her. "I believe your being here upset her," he said, and his companion nodded in agreement.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The doors to the med-lab sighed open, and Robin entered the room. He stood at the foot of the bed that Red X occupied, and locked eyes with the thief's mask. X's left arm was strapped to a board, holding the bones straight while a healing lamp bathed the break in it's light.

Robin scowled as he felt a pang of guilt at his feeling almost happy about X's condition, and his disappointment that it had been Slade who had broken the thief's arm and not himself. He looked up as one of the monitors beeped softly, and the healing lamp clicked off. "Well, that means you broken arm is healed."

"Good, then maybe I can see about getting out of here." X said, wiggling his fingers.

"The only place you're going is down to our detention cells, then to jail. In case you've forgotten, kidnapping is a crime."

"I didn't kidnap your girlfriend, kid. I saved her life and she stayed willingly. You just have to get used to the idea that you couldn't hold onto her."

If X was going to continue the taunt, he didn't get the chance as Robin grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off the bed, his right arm drawn back. "She's NOT my girlfriend."

"Robin!" Shel'b shouted from the doorway. "Let him go."

Robin looked over at her, and saw the disappointment in her eyes. He also saw the determination there as well. With a frustrated sigh he let X go, and turned away.

"You know, kid, the two of you insisting that you're not boyfriend and girlfriend is getting old," X said straightening his outfit.

"Tell him, Highness. He deserves to know."

Robin was tightly gripping the counter he had turned to, reigning in his anger. He spun towards Shel'b, that anger still showing clearly on his face. "He deserves. . . . ."

"He needs to know, Highness," Shel'b insisted. "The Empress is not thinking right. Her actions can be excused, but if he is feeling what I believe you fear he is, he needs to be told."

"Empress?" X asked. "I thought she was just a Princess, and why do you keep calling him Highness?"

"Koriand'r, Starfire, is our Empress, although she does not rule," Shel'b replied. "I can not tell you the reason I call Robin, Highness. It is not my place."

"Well, kid?"

Robin's glare switched back and forth between Red X and Shel'b, then he sighed in defeat. "Starfire isn't my girlfriend," he said, facing Red X. "She's my wife."

Despite the fact that Robin almost whispered the information, even with his mask on, X managed to looked totally stunned. "Your wife?! I had no idea!"

"That was the idea," Raven said as she walked in with Beast Boy. "Look at what happened when there was just a rumor that they were dating. Every lowlife out there was itching to get their hands on her, to use her as either a way to get rich or further their success by using her to force Robin and the rest of us into doing things. Think of how much worse it would have been if you knew they were husband and wife."

"That's why she gave these to Nurse Ramsey," Robin said holding up the chain with the three rings on it. "So that when you gave her to Slade, he wouldn't find out. What I can't figure out was why she turned to you like she did."

"I might have had something to do with that," X said. "When I first took her in and I was dressing her wound she reached up with her good hand and cupped my cheek. As she did she said 'Robin, kovat shu, loneva.' Later on when she had recovered, I called her loneva, and when she got angry I told her that she had called me that. I simply neglected to tell her that she thought I was you at the time and was delirious with a fever. It was almost immediately after that that she started warming up to me."

"You called her. . . . " Robin said, but trailed off. "You don't know what that means, do you?"

"Where would I have had the chance to learn her language?" X countered, "What does it mean, by the way?"

"It means, my love," Robin answered, seeing by the look on her face that Shel'b was going to tell him if he didn't. "And in case your interested, kovat shu means thank you."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"To let you know that we're not just trying to get her back," Robin replied. "Nurse Ramsey told us how Starfire thinks we only put that news article out so that you would give her back to us, but that's not the reason. She's really suffering from radiation poisoning." He quickly typed some commands into the computer terminal and the monitor came to life. "This is a feed from the security videos of the Tamaranean cruiser VILTHUR'L, that was bringing Starfire here from Tamaran just over a month ago," He explained. "The alarm you are hearing is due to a engine core containment breach in progress." A moment later Starfire entered the frame, and they all watched as she tried unsuccessfully to get the attention of several of the warriors going past her. With her frustration clearly written on her face, she crossed over to a communications terminal and punched a button. She took the microphone that popped out and started speaking into it.

The computer's voice filled in the translation as she spoke. "Enough! This is the Empress! Is this not a ship full of warriors? You are not a training cadre on it's first training cruise." Starfire's speaking seemed to cut through the panic that seemed to grip the warriors in view. "Follow your training and evacuate the ship."

"Mik'l, Shar'n, get them to the escape pods, quickly." Starfire ordered and the three of them started organizing the evacuation of the ship, ensuring that no pod left unless it was full. "Now to check the engineering section to make sure everyone got out."

"Highness there is no time," Mik'l protested but it fell on deaf ears as Starfire quickly moved out of the cameras range.

The computers count down to core detonation was down to one minute when her voice came from off camera. "Get into your pod and eject, I have the Chief Engineer, and I will take him with me, although I do not believe he still lives. At the least he will receive a warriors funeral."

Just then, Starfire came into view, carrying a limp figure. Right as Starfire was about to enter the pod, there was a bright flash and the picture went to static.

Robin was silent for a moment. "That flash obviously wasn't the ship exploding. What it was, was some type of radiation pulse put out by the engines very shortly before they blew up. Fortunately, the concussion from that blew Starfire and the one she was carrying into an escape pod and they blasted free of the ship before it blew."

"Starfire is right when she says that no known form of radiation is harmful to Tamaraneans," Raven picked up. "No Tamaranean that has been exposed to this pulse of radiation has survived. They've either evacuated the ship first or perished when the engines exploded."

"Let me guess, there's more behind this kid named Nie'l than she told me?" X asked, then knew he was right when he saw Robin's face go blank.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Red X was fairly certain that Robin was lying, and a moment later his suspicion was confirmed as the med-lab doors opened.

"Father, I was very happy to see that Friend Raven has recovered," Nie'l said as he entered the room. "That means you can resume your search for Mother."

"Father? Mother?" X asked, and he saw both Raven and Robin close their eyes.

Robin reached over and first ruffled Nie'l's hair, then put a hand on his shoulder. "Nie'l's sister died when she was hit by a star bolt that was meant to kill Starfire," he explained. "That left him with no family, so as a reward for Sher'l's sacrifice, she adopted him."

"Father, who is this?"

Robin crouched down so he was face to face with Nie'l, and made sure that he was between the youngster and Red X. "This is Red X. He's the one who had Koriand'r," As he expected, Nie'l's eyes narrowed and flared red in anger, and his hands also glowed with energy. "Nie'l, he's bound and unable to defend himself."

"Then release him and give him a weapon. I do not care that he is ruthasha, he had no right to touch her."

"What about me, Nie'l? I'm an off worlder too."

"You. . . . Father, he held her against her will and turned her against you. Besides, you may not be from Tamaran, but you have been proven and accepted as a warrior."

"Nie'l, if it wasn't for him, Koriand'r would have died. He saved her life."

"Nurse Jennifer Ramsey saved her life. He sold her to Slade."

Red X cringed behind his mask when he heard the way that the youngster said Slade's name and realized that the kid felt the same way about him. He was also slightly surprised that Robin was defending him. "Kid, I. . . ."

"Do not speak to me, ruthasha."

"Nie'l, if X hadn't found Starfire and brought her in from the cold she would have died from exposure before Nurse Ramsey would have had a chance to help." Suddenly, Robin had an insight to some things. "Nie'l, if someone had saved your life, not once, but twice, wouldn't you owe them a debt of some kind?"

"Shavek norvala," Shel'b said softly. "My. . . .Nie'l that would make sense as to why Koriand'r did not want us to rescue her. She feels that she owes a debt of honor to Red X for saving her life."

"As a member of the Royal Family, she would not set aside that debt, but would do whatever Red X deemed appropriate to repay that debt."

"That's what she said. That nurse tried to talk her out of it, but she said it didn't have anything to do with her being a Titan. When she first agreed, she didn't seem happy about it, which didn't surprise me, but later the way she looked at me. . . . Kid, believe me, if I had known you were married, I wouldn't have let things go."

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is getting Starfire away from Slade. X, I need to know where he is so I can make a rescue plan to get her back."

"That's not going to be easy, kid. She doesn't want to come back, and I don't think all of you could force her."

"I know it's not going to be easy, X, now where is Slade?"

"I've got some idea where he's hiding, but I want in on the action. He owes me, and I want to help take him down as payment."

"So you can use the confusion and distraction to slip away? Not a chance."

"Then your best lead on finding Slade just dried up."

"You may have been my best lead, but you're not the only one."

"Is he always this stubborn, Friend Raven?" Shel'b asked as Robin stormed from the room.

"Most of the time, Shel'b," she replied. '_Especially when either Starfire or Slade is concerned, and with this concerning both it's going to be worse,' _she thought.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was two hours later, though Starfire didn't know that as she regained consciousness. All she knew for certain was that she ached from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, the lingering stiffness in her muscles telling her that the collar had hit her with it's highest level of charge. That bit of information didn't surprise her, as she knew that she had managed to do several things that it was designed to keep her from doing. She went to raise a hand to her head, but was stopped from completing the motion. _'I will not be using my star bolts for a while,'_ She thought to herself when she saw the shackles that covered her from just below her elbows on down including covering her hands. She knew she was going to be wearing them until Slade removed them from her. Even without the restraint of a control collar, it had taken Robin and his lock pick to free her from the only other pair of this shackles she had ever worn.

"Shavota, Koriand'r. Fe vat nelo a mirala shu okevo rolare."

Turning her head towards the source of the voice, Starfire was again shocked to see who it belonged to. "It may be good to you to see me awake, but it brings me no pleasure to see you at all, sister."

Blackfire watched as her sister closed her eyes against the pain as she sat up. She managed to wipe the sympathetic look off her face before Starfire glared at her again. "How the mighty have fallen. When I heard that the prim and proper Koriand'r had gone rogue and was helping a common criminal, I just had to come and see for myself."

"And I am certain that you enjoy what you see, Sister. Me wearing shackles and collared, just as you wished me to be when you had me take your place on Trogaar's ship. As you told me before, Slade got them from you."

"You have no idea how seeing you like this makes me feel, little sister. How long you stay that way depends on how well you behave. I'm sure you realize that Slade doesn't trust you fully, yet, but he does know that you're no friend to the Titans."

Blackfire could see that Starfire was straining against the shackles, and a moment later she heard the warning crackle of electricity from the collar causing her to growl in frustration as she gave up. "So what of Kor'mel? Has he banished you from his empire already?"

"I simply told him the truth, Starfire, that I was coming to Earth to see you."

"He simply thinks for a different reason. He thinks you are here out of concern for me, while the real reason you are here is to gloat."

"And to help you enter this new phase of your life, little sister. Don't deny it, Starfire, you need my help with this. You've already made one mistake in telling Slade that you want to take over this planet. Frankly, I can see your point. This is a beautiful world, and the locals shouldn't be to difficult to rule over. It would be easier if you had my help, and you know it. Sure, you have warriors that you could call on to take this planet, but I offer you even more with the ones that would follow me."

"I do not wish to rule with you, sister." Starfire turned as she paced a few steps, not only thinking, but working the stiffness out of her muscles as well. "However, I will admit that an alliance with you would be helpful. You seem to have gained Slade's trust, and I am going to need that if I am to ever be rid of these."

Blackfire raised her right wrist and spoke into a small communicator that was there. "I told you she could be dealt with."

"Excellent. I believe we can dispense with the shackles for now, and have her change her outfit. She is no longer a Titan, she is with me now."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

It was two days later, and Robin had just finished his weight training workout, when he heard the doors to the room sigh open. "Highness we need to speak with you for a moment." The smile Robin had at hearing Kim'r's voice faded when he saw that she was accompanied by Galfore and two other Tamaraneans that he didn't recognize.

"Of course, what can I do for you?"

"You have one week to return the Empress."

Robin looked over the one who had spoken, wondering why the man was in such a bad mood. "I hope to have her back before then, Captain."

"For the sake of both your city and this world, I hope so, ruthasha."

"Mer'l, you will watch yourself!" Galfore snapped. "Remember who you are speaking to."

The Captain glared at Galfore for a moment, then turned away. Robin noticed that he didn't apologize to him, though. "I will ignore that for now, captain, but only because I want to know why."

"This is why, Highness," Kim'r said, as she set the box down that she was carrying. Robin saw that it was about the size of a cigarette pack, and she pressed a button on the side of it. He gasped when a holographic image of Starfire from the shoulders up appeared above it, and she began speaking in Tamaranean.

"Warriors, I have been captured by criminal elements on this world. They have not harmed me, yet, and claim that they will not do so. Since he has been unable to protect me, I have released the Earthling, Robin of all oaths to me. As Empress, I call upon all warriors to take up the vena corvala against this planet."

Starfire was silent for a moment before the image vanished, and Robin noticed that she kept touching a metallic band that was around her neck, just above her neckpiece. Setting aside his curiosity about that, he looked over at Kim'r. "I know vena means blood, but. . . "

"Corvala is an older term in our language, and is only used in this manner now. It has been replaced by the word nathara, and means war," Kim'r said.

"Koriand'r has called upon one of our oldest traditions," Galfore added. "She has called upon us to begin a blood war against your planet." He broke eye contact with Robin, not happy about his next statement. "If you can not return her to the ROHA'N, it will mean war between your planet and Tamaran."

"Galfore, I give you my word. . . . " Robin began but cut off when Mer'l scoffed.

"You would expect us to take the word of a ruthasha on this?"

Robin glared at the captain, his hand snapped to the small of his back. He drew and extended his staff in one motion and slapped it into the side of Mer'l's head. "I let that pass once, Captain, not again. I have been accepted as a warrior, and I will not be addressed that way again."

Mer'l got up with a growl, and started to lunge at Robin, but was driven back by a pair of red star bolts.

"You will stand down, Captain. That is an order."

"Stand aside, Kinecha," Mer'l hissed, as he shoved Nie'l aside.

"Big mistake, Mer'l," Robin said, as he took a fighting stance.

"Not as big as the one you made by striking me, ru. . . .ungghh," Mer'l began, but cut off when he was hit from behind by a large green star bolt.

Galfore stood there, his left hand still glowing brightly green. He took a deep breath and let the bolt cool. "My apologies, Highness, my Lord," he said addressing first Robin, then Nie'l. "I had expected his feelings toward you, Robin, but pushing aside the Emperor went to far."

"Why would you expect him to treat me like that?"

"Because, Father, it was to her that you gave your Oath of Acceptance," Nie'l replied. "In her message she said that she released you from all oaths that you have given her." He was silent for a moment, then glanced over at Galfore, Kim'r, and the other warrior. "That would explain his contempt of me as well. With Robin released from his Oath of Bonding to Koriand'r, I am no longer their son and can not hold the throne."

Robin glanced over at the strange warrior, then spoke his mind anyway. "But she isn't in her right mind. Galfore, you know as well as I do that she wouldn't. . ."

"I know, Highness, as does Kim'r, Shel'b and Chr's, and the ones who were in your Guard when you were her shalocfa. Those of us who were close to you to see your feelings for each other, but that image, if not the message itself, is causing my people to not think clearly."

"By the image of Starfire, I take it you actually mean that metal band around her neck."

"That band, as you call it, is a Gordanian sakeo desara."

Robin heard the disgust in the warrior's voice, and it didn't surprise him when he heard the word Gordanian. It took him a moment to remember the translation of the other two words. "No! She's told me of her time on Trogaar's ship, and at least some of what she went through while his. . . . .prisoner."

"Then you understand why seeing her wearing that . . . .thing again would incense us."

"Yes, I do, Commander. Galfore, not that I'm complaining, but why do I have a week to find her? I would think that you would attack at once."

"Tactical reasons, Highness," Kim'r replied. "Right now the ROHA'N is the only ship in orbit. It will take one of your weeks for the BOROMI'R, NUMENO'R, SOMOR'O, and SOMONO'R to reach Earth orbit from where they are now."

"Do not doubt, Robin, that once they arrive, if Koriand'r is not freed and back to normal, we will begin our invasion."

"Galfore, what of Nie'l? Is he right? Will he lose the throne?"

The big Tamaranean stroked his beard as he thought this over. "That would depend on if you still claim him as your son. Strictly speaking you did make your Oath of Acceptance to Koriand'r, but the oath is pledging your self to Tamaran, not the Grand Ruler. That would allow you to remain a warrior and with your backing, Nie'l would be able to hold the throne."

"Would he have just my backing?"

"No, Highness," Kim'r replied. "I will concede that yours would be the most influential, as you command respect of a great many of us, but myself and Galfore would also back him, as well as others."

"How can he be so influential?" Nie'l asked. "He is ruthasha. I mean no offense, Father, but you are not from Tamaran"

"None taken, son. Correct me if I'm wrong, Kim'r, but in answer to your question, Nie'l, when I was Koriand'r's shalocfa my actions and conduct were such that, except by my being born on Earth, I showed that I was in spirit, a warrior worthy of being called a Warrior of Tamaran."

"Exactly correct, Robin," Kim'r said, her eyes echoing the pride in her voice. "I am very pleased to see that Koriand'r's lessons to you, and what you learned while among us were so well learned. What of you, Bria'n? Do you still accept him as a warrior?"

"Captain, I was not aboard any of the ships that was here then. I only have second and third hand information to base my decision on," he replied, then looked at Robin for a moment, then at the still unconscious Mer'l. "Yes I do still accept him as a warrior. If for no other reason, it is because you still do."

"Do you think Mer'l will challenge me when he wakes up?"

"That is most likely, Highness. That is why Kim'r and I are going to take him back to the ROHA'N before he does."

"No, Galfore. I won't go looking for a fight, but I will not back down from one either. I can't if I am to prove to Bria'n and others that I am a warrior."

"He does have a point, Galfore. You and I know him, as does most of the crew of the ROHA'N. It is those like Bria'n and Mer'l who will give opposition to him, and Nie'l's remaining on the throne."

"I will give no resistance to Nie'l's rule, or Robin's remaining a warrior," Bria'n said. "His actions that I have seen have proven what I have heard true." He smiled softly when he saw Robin tense when Mer'l groaned softly then opened his eyes.

"Be at peace, Highness. I would claim that my actions were a test to see if you truly were as I have heard, but that would be a lie. However, it did open my eyes to my own foolishness." Robin saw the surprised looks on Kim'r and Galfore's faces when Mer'l dropped to one knee and presented the hilt of his sword to him. "I swear that if hostilities break out between Earth and Tamaran, that the ROHA'N will not be among the hostile forces."

"Mer'l. . . . Captain, much as I would like to take this oath from you, I can't. I can't ask you to go against your people or your traditions. If I did, and the other ships arrive, you crew might mutiny if you stood by and didn't join the attack."

"Will you accept my word that I will do everything I can to prevent the other ships from attacking?"

"As long as you don't fire on another Tamaranean ship, I can agree to that, Captain"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Unnggh," Starfire grunted as she slammed into the wall, then groaned as she slid to the floor. She picked herself up and glared at Slade, her anger rising enough to cause the control collar to issue it's crackling warning.

"Come now, girl, I've been expecting better from you," Slade said as he watched her get to her feet. "You handled those bots in the park well enough without your powers." He smiled softly behind his mask as he watched Starfire pick her staff back up and take a defensive stance, her eyes glowing faintly with her anger and frustration.

Starfire watched as Slade leapt at her, bringing his staff around in a high arc. At the last moment she sidestepped and brought her own staff around, catching the larger man on the shoulder, his momentum causing him to stumble. She moved to follow up with another blow, but found that Slade was faster than she had thought as he brought his staff back and blocked the blow. Using the momentum she had, Starfire lashed out with her right foot, catching the side of Slade's left knee, causing the joint to pop loudly.

Her feeling of triumph was short lived as Slade swung his staff back around. Starfire blocked the blow and countered with one that slammed into the side of Slade's ribs, knocking him to the floor and causing him to loose his staff.

"Good," he said softly, then caught her staff when she swung it at him again, wrenching it from her hands and tossing it aside. He was mildly surprised when Starfire came at him bare handed, and actually landed a couple of blows. The third one, however, he grabbed her wrist and twisted the arm up behind her back. "Don't think that you're a match for me, girl."

Starfire didn't squirm, and ground her teeth against the pain that the pressure on her left shoulder was causing. She would rather die than give him the satisfaction of her crying out in pain. She slammed her elbow back into the side of Slade's head. The blow might have stunned him for a moment, but he didn't let go of her wrist, and he twisted the arm around, then threw her half way across the room. He watched as she slid to a stop in a three point stance, then took a step towards him.

"Enough," he said as a loud buzzer sounded, marking the end of the training session. "Very good, you might have beaten me if the session had gone on longer. You're a faster pupil than Robin was, although he would have been faster if he wasn't so busy trying to resist and worrying about you and the other Titans."

"I would do even better without this," Starfire said, indicating the control collar.

"Oh I agree, but I'm not foolish enough to let you have use of your powers."

"I give you my word, as a member of the Royal Family of Tamaran that I will not use my powers against you."

"Sorry if I don't believe you."

Starfire blew out a frustrated breath. "Then it appears that we are at an impasse. I am not like my sister, Slade. My word is. . . .unngh!" she said, but was cut off when a purple star bolt slammed into her, knocking her into the wall.

"My word is just as good as yours, Koriand'r," Blackfire said in a deathly calm voice.

Slade watched as Starfire slowly got to her feet, and stood there, her right hand against the wall providing herself with support. "It appears I may have the wrong sister in mind for my plans. You are the older sister, Blackfire and should be the more powerful."

"But she is not," Starfire said. "I have beaten her twice in open combat. Is that not right, sister?"

Slade saw how brightly Blackfire's eyes were glowing, and he chuckled softly. "The spats you two must have gone through before must have been interesting to watch," he said, then his voice hardened. "No matter. Blackfire, I don't want Starfire injured, so seeing as she can't properly defend herself against you, I am ordering you not to attack her again."

"You presume to order me. . . . . .ahhhggghh!" Blackfire began, but cut off as the wrist communicator she wore sent and electrical shock through her.

"I don't presume anything, I merely state facts." He watched as Starfire crossed over to her sister. "How touching. Get some rest, Starfire. Tomorrow will be your first mission for me."

The two sisters watched Slade leave. "He is not as good as Robin has lead me to believe," Starfire whispered as she helped Blackfire to her feet. "His first mistake was in trusting you. His second was in attacking you, because now he has us both set against him. I may not trust you, but you are my sister. No one will harm you without my getting back at them."

Blackfire gave her sister a lopsided grin, "Glad to hear that, sis. No one can hurt me but you, eh?"

"Something like that. Have you recovered?"

"Yeah. What Slade gave me was only about a level one charge from that collar." Blackfire mentally kicked herself when she saw the pained, almost haunted look that crossed Starfire's face as she remembered things that happened while she was aboard Trogaar's ship.

"That is a comparison I have you to thank for, sister."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was almost dark in the med-lab of the Tower. Seeing as it was near midnight, all the main lights were off, and the only light was from some small strips along the floor where it met the wall. Sleeping lightly due to his present situation, Red X woke up when the door hissed softly as it opened.

"Isn't it past you bedtime, kid?"

"I am assuming that was an attempt at humor. Forgive me if I do not laugh, but I am here on serious business. From what Robin has told me, and what I have learned from the database on the computer, I believe you are the type of person who would not leave anything to chance."

"Listen, kid, I'm not sleeping very well to begin with, and it's late. What's this leading up to?"

"I think that you lied to Robin," Nie'l said walking closer. "I think you either know exactly where Slade is hiding, or you have a very short list of possibilities of where he might be."

X was impressed by the youngster's reasoning. "And you're telling me this, because?"

"Because I am making you an offer. I will let you go free, if you help me to free Koriand'r."

"And what's to prevent me from simply running off once we leave the Tower?"

"You will give me your word that you will not. Part of what I read about you was a statement by Nurse Jennifer Ramsey. In it she said that Koriand'r did not really trust you, but she did feel that you had a sense of honor that you hold yourself to almost as strictly as Robin does himself. I believe that if you give me your word that you will keep it."

Red X felt an odd feeling go through him. He knew about Starfire's feelings of his honor, and now he was looking at someone else who had faith in him. "Why don't you simply ask me to tell you where I think they might be, and go yourself?"

Nie'l looked down in embarrassment. "I realize that she will not come willingly with us, and will have to rendered unconscious," he said softly. "I may have Tamaranean strength, but I can not carry her by myself, I am too young."

Red X saw the pleading look in Nie'ls brown eyes, and he sighed softly. "Alright, kid. I give you my word that I will help you find Starfire and get her away from Slade. I also promise that I will not run off until we have her back here at the Tower."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

Robin and the others were jolted out of their sleep by the alarm caused by a distress beacon. Just as he reached the door to his room, the alarm was silenced and Shel'b's voice rang out over the intercom.

"They are gone! Robin, Kim'r, Chr's, Galfore, come to the med-lab at once!"

Throwing on his uniform, Robin ran into the hall. He had a good idea who was gone, but he couldn't figure out why Red X's escape would upset Shel'b enough that she would give orders to Kim'r, Galfore, and Chr's, who were all senior to her. He was also curious as to how X had gotten away with her watching him. The med-lab door opened as he ran up to it, and as he skidded to a stop he saw that the bed Red X had been in was empty, and Shel'b was still almost frantically looking around the room.

"Shel'b, report."

"Highness, they are gone!"

It was then that Robin noticed the word 'they' in what she said. "What do you mean, they? Red X is only one person."

Just then the doors opened again allowing Kim'r and Galfore to enter. "Nie'l is with him," Kim'r said. "Either willingly or as Red X's prisoner is yet to be determined."

The door opened again and the rest of the Titans and Chr's came in. "Cyborg, I want a replay of the security videos in here. Commander, care to tell me how he managed to get by you?"

"I was not on watch last night."

Chr's saw the look on Robin's face, and quickly spoke up. "Highness, I know she was supposed to be my relief, but Nie'l came in at the appointed time and told me that he was going to take her place."

"Robin, do not say that he is too young for such a duty," Kim'r said. "During his training he has been given the responsibility of standing guard. Chr's would not have suspected anything. I would also say that this answers the question of whether or not Nie'l went willingly or not, as it looks as though Nie'l had planned this."

"I'll say," Cyborg said, "Take a look at this."

They all gathered around the computer terminal and watched the screen. There was a burst of static, then; "I think that you lied to Robin," Nie'l said walking over to Red X's bed. "I think you either know exactly where Slade is hiding, or you have a very short list of possibilities of where he might be."

"And you're telling me this, because?"

"Because I am making you an offer. I will let you go free, if you help me to free Koriand'r."

"And what's to prevent me from simply running off once we leave the Tower?"

"You will give me your word that you will not. Part of what I read about you was a statement by Nurse Jennifer Ramsey. In it she said that Koriand'r did not really trust you, but she did feel that you had a sense of honor that you hold yourself to almost as strictly as Robin does himself. I believe that if you give me your word, that you will keep it."

"Why don't you simply ask me to tell you where I think they might be, and go yourself?"

They watched as Nie'l looked down his embarrassment evident on his face. "I realize that she will not come willingly with us, and will have to rendered unconscious," he said softly. "I may have Tamaranean strength, but I can not carry her by myself, I am too young."

Red X sighed softly. "Alright, kid. I give you my word that I will help you find Starfire and get her away from Slade. I also promise that I will not run off until we have her back here at the Tower."

Nie'l held out his right hand, and Red X shook it. "Then we have an agreement. I believe you will require this," Nie'l said as he handed Red X his belt.

"Robin, I would know your thoughts about this Red X," Galfore said. "Can he be trusted to keep his word, like Nie'l believes?"

"Yes, Galfore, I honestly think that he will. Before he was injured, he told me to get Starfire away from there and back to the Tower. When Slade showed up, instead of leaving, he stayed and helped me protect her. He knows that Star adopted Nie'l as her son and what she means to me, as well as how I think of Nie'l."

"He also knows that he'd have all of us to deal with if he hurts him," Raven added.

Robin saw the confused face Cyborg had when the computer beeped. "What is it, Cyborg?"

"An incoming message," he replied, his uncertainty evident in his voice, "but on a frequency I've never seen before. It's an Earth one."

Robin looked over his shoulder, and after an initial look of surprise, his face settled into an expressionless mask. "Bring it up."

Realizing that Robin wasn't going to give any explanation, Cyborg shrugged his shoulders and tapped the keys. He joined Raven and Beast Boy in the small gasp when they saw the face on the screen. The man's face was uncovered from chin to just below his nose. From there up the rest of his head was covered in black, save two eye slits.

"Robin," he said, his voice soft and emotionless.

"Batman."

"Care to explain this, and the message that was sent with it?"

Robin's eyes narrowed as he looked at the picture of Starfire that superimposed itself over the dark knights image. It had obviously been taken from her address to the ROHA'N as the control collar was clearly visible.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"This appears to be another false lead," Nie'l said, after he and Red X had materialized into another empty chamber. The first two had been abandoned warehouses, while this one was a forgotten maintenance store room off the Jump City subway line. Following Red X's instructions he didn't move, but turned his head to look around, and he flinched when a bright red light flashed in his right eye. "Maybe not so false."

"Care to explain that, kid?"

"When I turned my head, what I believe is a low powered laser flashed in my eye."

"Great," X muttered as he took a device from his belt. Nie'l heard a soft hissing sound and the beam of the laser was revealed just level with Nie'l's eyes, and as the spray dissipated two others were revealed, one at X's head level and the last one just about ankle height. "Well, kid, when we do find them, I don't think we'll be surprising them."

"But we will not stop looking. From what Moth. . . Starfire and Robin have told me of Slade, he will figure that since we have tripped the alarm that we will not continue to look, knowing that we have lost the element of surprise. He will lower his guard thinking that he is safe, that we will not continue to search."

Nie'l watched as Red X thought that over for a moment. "Ya know, kid, that actually makes sense to me."

"You remember what to do when we find her, correct?"

"Yeah," X replied, holding up a golf ball sized sphere. "I point this opening at her face and press this button. Are you sure that I won't have to hold my breath?"

"Yes, I am. Wistona gas has no effect on humans, but will render Koriand'r unconscious almost instantly."

"I hope you're right," X muttered under his breath as he put his hand on Nie'l's shoulder then tapped his belt buckle, activating the teleportation feature.

Red X acted instantly when the rematerialized in yet another chamber. He grabbed Nie'l, making sure his hand went over the youngster's mouth as he ducked into a recessed doorway. "Bingo," he said softly as he watched two Sladebots disappear around a corner. Feeling that Nie'l stopped resisting his grip, X let him go.

"What is this bingo?"

"It's a word that means success. We've found where Slade is. Now the question is, how do we find Starfire?"

Nie'l didn't reply right away as he took a device from his belt, and slowly turned a circle with it held out in front of him. "Heat signature," he said as he turned again, even more slowly. "In case you have not noticed, the normal body temperature of an adult Tamaranean is about one hundred fifteen degrees in your Fahrenheit scale," Nie'l said as he studied the readings on the device.

"And just how would I have had the chance to learn that?"

X was surprised at the angry glare Nie'l gave him. "I may be young, but I am not stupid. I saw the message you and Koriand'r left for Robin on that computer. Her leaning on your shoulder. Do not tell me you did not notice or take the opportunity to be close to her again."

"Listen, Kid, I didn't pressure her into doing anything. She acted on her own.

"But you did not discourage her, either."

"Hey, it's not every day that an attractive woman like her gives me a second glance, and when they do, it's usually so that can give a better description to the cops."

"So that makes it right? Letting someone do something that is against every thing they value?"

Red X met and held the glare Nie'l was giving him, then he looked away with a sigh of defeat. "No, kid, it doesn't, but it felt better when I convinced myself that it did."

"This way," Nie'l said and lead the way down the passage. Almost halfway down he stopped, pointing the heat sensor at a door. "In there," he said. "Odd, I thought the higher reading was because she was in a closed room."

"What's wrong, kid?"

Nie'l didn't answer right away, but took another sphere from the pouch on his belt. "There are two Tamaraneans in there. One on each side of the room."

"Great."

"It does not matter. We will use the wistona gas on both of them, and take Koriand'r leaving the other one."

Red X nodded and put his hand on Nie'l's shoulder. He took a moment to visualize the space on the other side of the door, then tapped his belt buckle transporting them into the room. Once they materialized it took them only a moment for them to move. Unfortunately, it was a moment too long.

Nie'l could see that he was next to Koriand'r. Her red hair gave that much away. He quickly pointed the sphere at where her head was and pushed the button.

Red X didn't know who the black haired Tamaranean was and he was a little behind Nie'l in his movements. He grunted in surprise when a hand shot out from under the blanket, grabbed his wrist, and jerked his hand to the side. He felt the person's thumb press down on a nerve, and his sphere dropped from his now numb hand.

Nie'l wasn't so lucky. Starfire's hand grabbed his wrist and bent his arm so he ended up gassing himself and he dropped to the floor with a soft moan.

X managed to wrench his hand free and he turned and saw Nie'l sprawled out on the floor. He knelt beside him and was just about to teleport them out when he was hit by two star bolts. A green one from the front and a purple one from the back. With a groan he fell to the floor beside the youngster.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I'm not your sidekick anymore, so I don't have to explain anything to you." Robin could feel the shocked looks he was getting from Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, and he mentally cursed himself for not keeping his feelings in check. His eyes widened as the camera pulled back, revealing the rest of the Justice League standing behind Batman.

"I would think that you would want to explain it to us, rather than to the President and the UN Security Council. Now, why was Starfire calling for a blood war against Earth?"

With a defeated sigh, Robin sat down and began filling the League in on things. He saw Bruce's jaw clench slightly when he explained about himself and Starfire being married, and about Nie'l being his adopted son.

"So you expect us to believe Starfire is acting this way because of radiation exposure?"

"Yes we do, because it is the truth," Vern'a cut in, leaning over Robin's shoulder to glare at the computer screen. "I am Vern'a, Koriand'r's personal healer. I can send you the data I have collected on this."

Batman looked as though he was about to say something, but Superman put his hand on his shoulder and he stayed silent. "Your pardon, Healer. We mean no disrespect, and we would be grateful for any information you can send us."

Robin shifted to one side as Vern'a leaned in and rapidly typed in a string of commands. "It is on its way to you right now."

"The Tamaraneans and I have a plan in the works that will get Starfire back. Once Slade surfaces, we'll carry it out."

Very well, Robin. Just be aware that we will be monitoring the situation very closely."

"I understand, Superman." Robin watched as the screen went black, then blew out a nervous breath. Dealing with Bruce was one thing, dealing with the Justice League was something else.

"Why didn't they contact us before, when half the Tamaranean fleet was here?" Beast Boy asked.

"Because as the SOMONO'R approached Earth orbit, they were contacted by a Green Lantern. He and Superman wanted to know what the SOMONO'R's intentions were. The ROHA'N was contacted the same way this time," Galfore explained. "Robin, I have something to tell you, and I do not think you will be pleased to hear it."

"If it's that you are using Nie'l in your plan to get that crystal to Starfire, you're right."

"No, I would not do that. He is far too young for such a mission. It is that we know where Koriand'r is being held."

"You know where Slade is?!"

Galfore saw the look that Robin was giving Chr's and Shel'b. "By we, I mean, myself, Kim'r, and Vern'a. Chr's and Shel'b were not told because since they are part of your team, they would have told you."

"And what would be wrong with that?" Slade is a psychpath. I can't think of any reason that you would want him to hold her any longer than necessary. There's no telling what he might do to her."

"Aside from some hand to hand training, he's not going to do anything to her."

"How can you be so sure of that? He's unpredictable.l"

"The same way that we kow where he is," Kim'r said. "Komand'r is with them."

"No way!" Beast Boy gasped in the moment of silence that Robin left in his shock.

"What?!! Getting her and Slade together with Stafire in the condition she's in is like mixing hydrogen and oxygen together and making a spark. I'll even bet that the Blood War was Blackfire's idea."

"I see that you opinion of her has not changed, Robin."

Robin spun toward the new voice. "Kor'mel! I mean no offence, but I still don't totally trust her. Putting her near Slade is too much of a temptation for her."

"She has given her word, both to me and to Nie'l, Robin. She will do all in her power to aid her sister. To that end, yes Komand'r most likely suggested the vena corvala to Koriand'r. She did so as a means for Koriand'r to win Slade's trust as quickly as possible. From what I was able to understand from her last report it worked, as he has removed the control collar from Koriand'r. Nie'l running off with Red X to find her is going to present a problem."

"How so, Galfore?"

"Because, Robin, if he or Koriand'r reveals to Slade that he is the Grand Ruler, he could force an interstellar war even more quickly that Koriand'r's calling for the vena corvala."

"And if he harms Komand'r, I will not declare war on Earth for his actions, but I hope that no one interferes with my dealing with him."

"Kor'mel, I promise you that the Titans won't stand in your way."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

Red X groaned softly as he regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he had to blink a couple of times to make sure he wasn't seeing double. _'No, one's a redhead, the other has black hair,'_ he thought to himself. "Hello, Princess." He was surprised when they both answered.

"Greetings, X," Starfire replied.

"Hello Red," Blackfire said.

"I believe we have him confused, Sister."

"Who we are is the least of his worries now, Starfire."

"Where's the boy?"

"The effects of the wistona gas he tried to use on me have not yet worn off," Starfire answered, nodding her head to her left. X turned his head and saw that Nie'l was in pretty much the same position he was. Arms shacked to the wall, another band around his ankles. Looking around, he noticed that there were six more sets of restraints waiting for their victims.

"Any chance of my being released from these, Starfire?"

As if on cue the door slid open and Slade came in. "Hello, X. It's good to see you again. Oh and in answer to your question, no, you're not going anywhere for quite a while."

"Slade," Red X said, then fell silent, not wanting to speak with him any more than necessary.

"I am impressed, Red X. Both by your ability to find this place, and by your persistence after you tripped that alarm."

"I can only claim the first part of that. The kid was the one who insisted on coming here."

"Indeed? Interesting. Now why would he have such a desire to find you, Starfire?"

"His sister was killed defending me not long ago, and I have taken him under my protection as a reward. It is possible that he thinks of me as his adoptive mother."

"Good. I'm glad to see that you aren't trying to hide anything from me. Blackfire told me all about your last little contest, when several of your warships were in orbit."

Any further conversation was cut off when Nie'l moaned softly then opened his eyes. "Koriand'r, Komand'r, it is good to see you both well, now release me at once."

"I'm afraid you my guest until I say otherwise."

"You must be the one called Slade."

'_Don't do it, Nie'l,'_ Blackfire thought to herself as she realized that he was going to try to break himself free. She knew that he had no idea what the crackling sound was, and she mentally winced as he learned the hard way. His shout of pain echoed in the mostly empty room as the electrical shock coursed through him. _'X'Hal, what has that radiation done to you little sister, that you can watch so calmly?'_ she thought when Starfire showed no reaction to Nie'l's pain. "Why didn't you warn him of the function of the collar?" she demanded.

"Some lessons are best learned the hard way. Don't you agree, Starfire?" Slade said, glancing over at her.

"So several of my instructors often told me during my training, as I am certain yours did as well, Sister."

"Training in five minutes, Starfire." Slade said, then left.

They watched as Slade left the room and the door slid shut, then Blackfire turned on her sister. "Kori, even the slave masters gave you warning of what the collar would do, and don't give me that kelano about what the instructors said."

"X'Hal, what was that?" Nie'l groaned as he came to.

"It is called a control collar, and they are used by the Gordanians to control their slaves, particularly Tamaraneans," Starfire replied. "It senses the emotional shift that is part of using our powers. The crackling sound you heard is the collar warning you, and giving you the chance to back away from either flying, using your strength, or star bolts. If you do not, it sends an electrical shock through your system. The one you just received was level one. Each time it shocks you it goes up another level. I do not know what level you will be able to withstand, but level ten is usually fatal to adults."

Red X saw the look on Blackfire's face when Starfire turned and left the room, and he didn't understand what she muttered under her breath, but evidently Nie'l did, because the youngster chuckled softly.

"I do not think she would appreciate you comparing her to bothara, Komand'r," he said, then turned to Red X. "The bothara is a creature on Tamaran, noted for its thick hide, and skull."

Red X was about to say something, when he noticed a slight movement of Blackfire's hands. Taking the cue he looked and saw the glint of light being reflected off a camera lens. The action did two things. First, it showed X that Slade probably had the whole place wired, and second, it told him that Blackfire was on his and Nie'l's side. He nodded slightly and relaxed some when he saw her slight smile.

"I'll see you later. I've got to help Slade with training Starfire."

"Robin and the Titans will rescue us, and free Starfire," Nie'l said before she left. She walked over to him, grabbing his chin forcing him to look right into her eyes.

"Don't let on that Kori adopted you, or that you are the Emperor," she whispered to him. "Slade would use that to force a war between Tamaran and Earth." Pulling back a little, she spoke in a normal voice. "Don't think that the Titans will be able to rescue you. They haven't been able to capture Slade before, and with Starfire and I with him, they won't stand a chance."

"You alright, kid?" Red X asked after Blackfire had left. "That looked like quite a jolt that collar gave you."

"I will not say that it was enjoyable, but I will be alright. I fear for Robin and the others, Red X. With both Koriand'r and Komand'r fighting alongside him, Slade may be unbeatable."

"Don't sell him short, kid. He's at his best when things seem their worst. He'll come up with something."

"I just hope it will be enough."

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"Jemidar Kor'mel, I know that you are here because Komand'r is, but how did you know? She gave me her word that she would tell no one."

"All she told me, Galfore, was that she was going to visit her sister. I felt that it was something more when I heard the rumors about Koriand'r. Vern'a filled me in this morning when I went aboard the ROHA'N, hoping to ask you about her whereabouts." Kor'mel turned to Robin. "I will not pretend to know what you are going through, but I offer whatever assistance I can give in ensuring Koriand'r's return."

"Thank you, Jemidar, but if things don't work out, I don't want to bring the Salvainian Empire into an already complicated situation."

Robin saw Kor'mel glance over at Galfore. "Robin, I am aware that Koriand'r has called for a Blood War. I also know that the ROHA'N is waiting for more ships to arrive before an attack is launched. What I believe Galfore is unaware of, is that only the SOMOR'O is coming. The rest of the Tamaranean fleet has sworn it's loyalty to you and Nie'l."

"What?!" Galfore, Chr's, Shel'b, and Kim'r all gasped at the same time.

"They revolted!?"

"No, Galfore, they are siding with their Grand Ruler, and realize that Koriand'r is not in her right mind. You may have been able to slow the pace at which that information traveled, but you could not stop it. From what my sources say, they are waiting to see what the outcome will be on any attempt to free Koriand'r. Galfore, I will ask this, but will understand if you do not answer. Will the ROHA'N attack when the SOMOR'O arrives?"

Galfore rubbed his chin through his beard as he thought that over. "Not without provocation. Captain Mer'l has given his word to Robin that he will try to prevent any other ships from attacking."

Before anyone else could say anything, Robin's communicator beeped. He looked at the display, and although, Galfore, Vern'a, and Kor'mel missed it, the others saw the slight narrowing of Robin's eyes and knew that what ever it was on his communicator, he wasn't pleased.

"If you will all excuse me, I have a personal message that I must take," he said and left. He walked to his room, and stood behind his computer chair, arms folded across his chest glaring at the monitor which was flashing a very familiar bat shaped insignia. He honestly thought about not answering the call, but knew that Bruce wouldn't give up, and would find a way to bypass the security system to force his signal across. Composing himself, he sat and typed the commands that would allow the call to be unscrambled and come through.

"I see you're alone, Dick."

"I do know what a personal message is, Bruce. What's on your mind?"

"Earth's safety, which is more than I can say for you." Bruce glared out of the monitor at Robin for a moment, then sighed. "How many times have I told you not to get emotionally involved with your team? Even before you left! Do you think I enjoyed making excuses for you to the League?"

"Excuses? Bruce, I can fight my own battles, I don't need help from you."

"You let your emotions get the better of you, and now the Earth is under threat of interstellar war. I honestly don't think you're prepared for that kind of fight. You've embarrassed me, Dick. All because you let your focus slip and got emotionally involved with a member of your team."

"Well at least the ones I've been involved with have been members of my team," Robin shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't give me that, Bruce. I know better, remember? When I got involved with Babs, it was before I found out she was Batgirl, but at least she was on our side. You, on the other hand, can't make the same claim. Selena Kyle certainly wasn't, neither was. . . .oh what was her name? Rache al Ghul's daughter. Oh yeah, Talia. So don't go and try to tell me how to run my life, Bruce. That's one of the reasons why I left."

"So you're willing to risk this and all for the sake of your friends? Even ones that turn on you?"

Something in what Bruce said struck a chord in Robin's mind, and his anger stepped up another notch, and he fought to keep it under control. "Starfire isn't in her right mind, Bruce. Once she's given the serum, she'll be back to normal. And yes, I would risk anything for my friends, because I trust them to be there for me," He paused for a moment, then remembered something. "Which I can't say for you and who you claim as being your friends."

"You trust them like you did when you became Red X?"

"That was a long time ago, Bruce, and shortly after we got together. Are you still carrying around that chunk of kryptonite? Bruce, face it, if you can't trust Superman, then I doubt you'll ever be able to trust anyone."

"I'll be in touch, and don't forget we're keeping an eye on you and your team. Your track record with Slade isn't all that great."

Robin glared at the screen for a moment after it went black, and it dawned on him why Bruce's comment bothered him.

'He remembered being held on the ground, Slade's grip on his head and hair, keeping him there. _'But the only thing you care about is your worthless little friends!' _The memory passed, and he thought for a moment. "He didn't ask or mention it, but I'm sure he will. I trust them in everything else, and I'm not going to be like Bruce. I have friends, not just team mates," he muttered then pulled out his communicator. "Titans, I'd like to see you for a moment, in my room."

"Yo, Rob, what's up?" Cyborg asked as the three Titans strolled through the door, followed by Shel'b and Chr's.

Robin was standing near the middle of the room. "Cyborg, you and Beast Boy better sit down. I'm pretty sure that Raven already knows what I'm about to tell you, but it's going to be a bit of a shock to you." The two boys looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Beast Boy took a seat on the foot locker at the foot of the bed, and Cyborg sat on the bed itself. "Cyborg, you, Raven, and Beast Boy all know that I worked with Batman before I came to Jump City, and that's about all any of you know about me, while we all know almost all about the rest of you_."_

"Robin, we all agreed that we wouldn't pressure you on that. We understand that you're protecting more than yourself."

"I know, Raven, but the conversation I just had with Batman showed me that I've been just talking about how much I trust all of you. He hasn't asked directly yet, but I think he will if either he or the League gets more involved."

"Ask what?"

Robin had been nervously pacing, still unsure if he should do what he was about to. _'Is what I've been telling Bruce a lie?'_ He asked himself. _'No. I trust all of them with my life. They have a right to know,' _he answered, and stopped pacing. He looked out the window as he answered Cyborg's question.

The others watched as Robin paced, and Raven could feel the indecision in him suddenly resolve as he stopped pacing, and his hand went to his face.

"If you know that my real name is Richard, or Dick Grayson," Robin answered, turning around to face them after stripping off his mask. He smiled softly at the gasps of surprise from his friends. _'Raven may have known who I am, but this is the first time she's seen me without my mask,'_ he thought.

Cyborg was the first to get over his shock. "Wait a minute. If you're Richard Grayson, then Batman is. . . " he began.

". . . Millionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne?" Beast Boy finished. "No way! Bruce Wayne isn't like Batman at all."

"And Dick Grayson has nothing in common with Robin. That's the idea of a secret identity, Beast Boy. Being so different from your other self that no one makes the connection."

"Robin?" Cyborg asked softly as he looked at his hand. "What happened?" He looked up just then and wished that he hadn't asked, or at least waited until Robin had put his mask back on when he saw the flash of haunting pain in his blue eyes.

"My parents were the Flying Grayson's, a high wire and trapeze act with Haly's Circus. When I came along, naturally, I became part of the act. For the first nine years of my life I was more at home on the wire or trapeze than I was on the ground. One night we pulled into Gotham and I overheard my father telling my mother that some one named Zuco was trying to force Mr. Haly to pay for protection. What we didn't know was that my father had been spotted over hearing Mr. Haly being threatened." The others watched as Robin paced as he went on. "Two days later, during a part of the performance when I was on the ground, my mother performed a difficult move called a quad somersault. Right after my father made the catch the wire of his trapeze snapped. During performances they didn't use a safety net, and they fell to their death."

"An accident?"

"No Beast Boy, they were killed." Robin said, narrowing his eyes. "I may have been only nine at the time, but I knew every bit of rigging in the trapeze, and the line didn't break, it was cut. Because I was so young, the police wouldn't listen to me, so I started digging, and I found information on Zuco and his gang, and I went after the people that killed my parents." He paused, taking a ragged breath before going on. "I was young, and stupid. I had some crazy idea that when I confronted them with what I knew, they would just give up, and turn themselves into the police. Instead, they almost killed me. Fortunately, Batman was on the trail of the same people I was. He saved my life, and offered me an opportunity, to turn my hate and rage, into something helpful, and good. He took me in as his ward and, for the first three weeks, I thought he was just a man who kept weird hours, but then I found the Bat Cave, and the rest you know."

"Highness, I thank you for telling us about your past. Chr's and I were curious as to how you became who and what you are."

"You must admit, Highness, you are not what most Earth people would call normal. You have my word that I will keep your identity secret, but I am confused as to why it is necessary."

"Like Raven said, Chr's, it's to protect others. As Dick Grayson, there are people who are my friends and don't know that I'm Robin. If certain criminals found out, they would threaten them to get to me."

"Like Slade is doing with Koriand'r."

"Right. That's why we were keeping that fact that we're bonded quiet. The problem is that Slade figured out that she's closer to me than the rest of the Titans."

Robin looked over at Chr's who was chuckling softly. "Highness, anyone who has seen you around Koriand'r could figure that out."

Just then, Robin's computer beeped, as did Cyborg's arm. "Speak of the devil," the titanium Titan said when he saw who the incoming call was from.

Robin quickly put his mask back on, then answered the call. "What do you want, Slade?" he asked when the screen was filled with the orange and black mask.

"Now, Robin, is that any way to speak to someone who only wants to return something you've lost?" The camera's angle shifted, and Red X and Nie'l were shown, shackled to the wall. Robin saw, Shel'b and Chr's tense when they saw that Nie'l now wore a control collar.

"Let Nie'l go, Slade. He's not involved in this."

"That's my intention, Robin. All you have to do is come pick him up." The screen went black for a moment, then a map of the city came up with a blinking red dot on the far edge of the warehouse district. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Yeah, with an army of Sladebots," Beast Boy muttered.

"You know it's a trap, right?"

"It doesn't matter, Raven. We've got to get them back."

"When going into an ambush, the direct approach, with a superior force, is best."

"So is caution, Chr's. I'd say that his three to our six gives us the superior force."

"Three, Highness? He and Koriand'r are only two."

"Blackfire is the third. I know she's there to somehow get Starfire the other crystal, but until that opportunity comes up she's got to play along that she's on Slade's side. That means that she's going to be fighting us, and making it look good."

"What I'd like to know, is why Slade is trusting her so much?"

"I believe I can answer that, Highness," Kim'r said from the doorway. "Komand'r came to Galfore and I when she heard about Koriand'r's situation. Even though Komand'r did not return the messages that Koriand'r sent, she did read them. From what Komand'r told and showed us she felt certain that Slade would eventually end up holding her sister. She felt that she could present herself to him, citing her criminal past and past dealings with Koriand'r and the Titans to gain his trust."

"With the information, Terra gave him from our computers would have confirmed that to him," Robin said. "But I don't think that would have been enough."

"Whether Komand'r knew that Slade had gained access to your data files or not I do not know, but she also brought with her a control collar, and a small supply of wistona gas. I had suggested that she also bring some veka serum, but she did not because she feared what Slade would do with it."

"That's good. I agree with her. Slade would probably use the serum to make them both powerless, and could probably find a way to make it here on Earth."

"I had not thought of that."

"Kim'r, how long were you out there?"

"I just walked up in time to hear Raven's question."

Robin nodded in relief and they filed out to head for the garage.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

Robin got off his R-cycle and looked around as he waited for the others to arrive in the T-car. He raised a questioning eyebrow as he watched the others get out of the car. "Cyborg, are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yeah, Cy, it's an empty parking lot."

"Raven?" Robin asked when he saw her put a hand to her head, rubbing her temple.

"She's nearby, Robin, and since I know that, she's knows we're here."

"So does Nie'l. He still has the crystal."

"That would be Komand'r's doing, Robin. She would distract Koriand'r from removing it from him."

Robin nodded at Chr's's comment. but before he could say anything, Cyborg spoke up.

"Something's odd about this parking lot," he said as he looked around. "Drainage grates! There aren't any drainage grates to draw off water during a rain. This place would be like a small lake."

Just then a ten foot square section of the parking lot dropped out from under them like a trap door. They all called out in surprise as they fell. Raven reacted quickly, and levitated herself to the floor twenty feet below. Beast Boy morphed into a hawk and flew down to her side. Robin fired off a grapnel and swung down as Cyborg fired his hand to grip the ledge the same way. Shel'b and Chr's quickly swooped down as the door swung shut.

"Shel'b, Chr's, give us some light," Robin called, and the chamber was lit up with an eerie light from the un-launched blue and red star bolts from them. "Everyone alright?"

"My systems read as operational," Cyborg said.

"Yeah, I'm fine,"

"If you call being trapped twenty feet under ground alright, then yeah, I'm fine," Raven said.

"Highness, where do we go from here?"

"Knowing Slade there'll be only one way," Robin said in reply to Chr's's question. No sooner had he said that, then lights came on and the grinding of stone on stone was heard, as a section of the wall slid to one side, revealing a passage.

"I don't like the looks of this, Rob."

"Neither do I, Cyborg, but it beats just standing here," Robin said as he started toward the opening. They had only gotten a few steps when Robin stopped suddenly his eyes glued to the person hovering six feet off the ground before him. "No!" he gasped. "Kori?"

"Do not call me that, ruthasha. You have lost that privilege."

Robin's thoughts ran riot as he looked at her. Her outfit was similar to her normal, one except for color. Her top was black on her right side and orange on her left with the stylized 'S' that was Slade's insignia. Her skirt mirrored the colors of her top, and she wore her armor underneath. He was relieved to see her, but the expression on her face chilled his soul. There was no hint of friendship at all. As he watched, her gaze went from him to a point behind and above him.

"Shel'b, Chr's I make you this offer only once. You are neither Titans or of this world, so I will allow you to leave this battle."

"If you believe that either of us would abandon our friends or this world, you are sadly mistaken, Koriand'r," Chr's said, noticing how Starfire narrowed her eyes in anger at his dropping the honorific from her name.

"If you truly believe that we would, it is further proof that you have been effected by that radiation pulse."

"I assure you all that there is nothing wrong with my thinking," Starfire said, then shot down the birdarang that was headed her way. She quickly found herself dodging sonic blasts, red and blue star bolts, and bursts of dark energy as the Titans attacked. Before they could press their advantage, Starfire ducked into an alcove, which sealed shut behind her. Without a word, Shel'b and Chr's blasted the wooden door, and ducked in after her.

"Wait!" Robin shouted. "It's a trap!" The warning came to late as a steel door slid shut.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"We have been cut off from the others!" Shel'b called as she heard the clang of the door behind them.

"Then we will be the first to face her."

"You are correct, Commander," Starfire said as she drifted out from around a corner. "You are my own people, so I will offer you the chance to leave honorably. I have no argument with either of you, but if you insist on siding with the Titans, I will be forced to fight you."

"Then defend yourself!" Shel'b shouted and fired a flurry of star bolts at her, several of them striking her.

Recovering from the hits, Starfire twisted and dodged avoiding Chr's's barrage. "To be honest, Chr's, you are the one I do not have a grievance with. You, on the other hand I do."

"What would you have against me, Highness?"

"Do not play the innocent with me, Shel'b. I know the way that he looks at you, how he thinks of you. Did you enjoy trying to take him from me? Encouraging his attentions."

"My actions around Robin have been above reproach, Koriand'r. The only time I did not discourage him was when you had me impersonate you."

Starfire smiled evilly as she saw that Shel'b had cooled her star bolts and lowered her hands, and she fired a rapid burst at her, slamming her back against a wall and she sank to the floor with a groan.

"Shel'b!!" Chr's cried and he flew to her side, firing star bolts as he went, causing Starfire to seek cover. "Shelana?" he called as he landed beside her and knelt. He was relieved when he found her pulse, but his blood froze when he heard a voice behind him.

"You really should pay more attention to you opponents."

"Komand'r!" he gasped as he felt her fingers on the back of his neck and everything went black. Before either sister could do or say anything they were both blasted back by a pair of blue star bolts, and Shel'b quickly got to her feet. She shook her head shaking free the last cobwebs from her mind and focused on the task at hand.

"Two on one," she said to herself, "Not the best odds, but I have faced worse." Rising into the air, she faced where Starfire an Blackfire were getting up. "I do not wish to fight you, Highness, but you are leaving me no choice."

"Do not deceive yourself, Shel'b," Starfire said warming up her star bolts. "This is no honor battle. There are no restrictions on how this fight will be done."

Shel'b swallowed nervously. She had seen both sisters in combat when they fought on Tamaran. She also knew that she couldn't back down. "So be it," she said and launched a flurry of star bolts at them. After a few moments of their maneuvering for position and sniping at each other, Shel'b found herself with Starfire in front of her and Blackfire behind her. She turned so that they were to her sides and watched as they both readied a star bolt to launch at her.

"Rah!" both sisters shouted as they fired, and were surprised to see the others bolt heading straight for them, as Shel'b dropped to the ground.

Seeing that Blackfire was tangled in some rubble from her collision with the wall, Shel'b turned her attention to Starfire. Just in time, she saw her flying straight at her, her right fist glowing bright green. Pivoting on her left foot, she managed to avoid the blow, but couldn't evade the eye beam blast that slammed her back into a pillar.

"Covatchu, enough!" Blackfire shouted, getting the attention of both combatants. "Surrender, Shel'b or he dies."

"No!" Shel'b gasped when she saw Blackfire holding a dagger to Chr's's throat. Immediately she cooled her star bolts, and dropped to her left knee, bowing her head, eyes closed. "I surrender, just do not harm him." She waited for them to accept her surrender, but neither one spoke. She heard a sot tapping and opened her eyes to see a small sphere by her right foot. There was a soft pop, and a small cloud was sprayed into her face. Her gasp of surprise pulled the gas deep into her lungs, and she toppled over unconscious.

"I could have taken care of them myself, sister."

"I don't doubt it, Starfire, but this way was quicker. Besides, the Titans are moving into the next area. Have you decided who is next?"

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"Well, we can't help them," Robin said after even Raven's attempt to get past the door failed. "Even their communicator beacons are being jammed."

"So we keep going then," Cyborg said, checking his power levels.

"Cyborg?"

"I'm fine Robin, haven't even started using my main charge yet."

"Good. Starfire's probably going to try to split us up and take us one at a time, so don't let yourself get separated from the rest of us."

"With Blackfire, Starfire, and Slade working together, that may be impossible."

Robin grunted his agreement with Raven's comment, and they headed down the passage. After a while, it opened up into a chamber about twenty feet square. After they had taken only a few steps in they spun when they heard a low rumbling sound as a concrete slab slid down, closing off the way they had come. Not wanting to go out into the open with no cover, Robin led them to the right, keeping close to the wall. After only a few feet, he had to quickly jump back to avoid getting skewered by a set of sharp spikes the sprang out of the wall.

"Guess that means we go straight across," Beast Boy said.

"And the faster we get across the better. Titans go!"

At Robin's shout, the four of them broke into a run and headed for the rectangle of light that marked the exit. Since she was flying, Raven had gotten a few feet in front of Robin when they reached the middle of the room. He didn't have time to react when a purple star bolt knocked her from the air and back into him. While they were untangling themselves, Cyborg and Beast Boy caught up.

"Raven, you okay?"

"I'm fine Beast Boy. That wasn't a full powered bolt."

"It was only meant to stop us," Robin said, drawing a staff and extending it. "Titans, get ready."

The foursome stood back to back in anticipation of an attack. the faintest green glow was their only warning.

"Raven! Shield!" Robin shouted and a bubble of black energy formed over them just in time to deflect a long eye beam shot.

"You can not keep that up forever, demon spawn," Starfire called from where she hovered near the ceiling. "And I can shorten that time."

There was a moment of silence, then the shield seemed to waver when raven gasped. "No!"

"Raven?"

"She's right, Robin. She's using her bond with me to try to break my concentration," she said, then looked toward where Starfire was. "Starfire, stop. You don't know what you're doing!"

The redhead smiled evilly at Raven. "Oh but I do, Shalay'fa. You taught me quite well on how to use this bond of ours, by teaching me what you did not want me to do."

"Starfire, stop this. You have no idea. . . . "

"I know just as well as you do, what will happen if you lose your precious control. One of many secrets you keep from your friends. Some of them are far more interesting that who your father was."

Robin happened to glance over at Beast Boy, and saw that the green changeling had his eyes closed and seemed to be almost meditating. His sudden insight as to what Beast Boy was doing, gave the Boy Wonder a surge of hope. He calmed his mind and reached out to help Raven mentally. He was surprised to find their bond sealed off.

"Robin, Beast Boy, no. You can't help me, and would only distract me. I need to focus."

Reluctantly, Robin opened his eyes, and saw the angry glare that Beast Boy was directing at Starfire.

"Is it that, Shalay'fa, or do you not want them to see your secrets? Like this one."

Suddenly, the scene just after Trigon's defeat appeared in Robin's mind. It took him a moment to realize that he was seeing it from Raven's point of view.

Someone believed," she said and hugged Robin. Robin now felt the emotions behind that hug. At his being the one who came to find her, and believed that she could help. He also felt the affection that Raven had for him that came to life then. He also felt Beast Boy's surprise and hurt and realized that the changeling had shared the vision.

"NO!!" Raven screamed and launched a blast at Starfire.

"Ahhgghh, ungh!" Starfire groaned as the blast hit her full on and slammed her into a wall. She chuckled evilly as she got up. "What is the matter, Raven? Afraid of the truth?"

Robin gasped when he saw Raven's eyes glowing red as she phased through the shield. "That was in the past. I've realized that Robin's love belongs to you. I won't let you use my mind and emotions to hurt them. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

A large slab of the floor tore up and sped towards Starfire. A flurry of star bolts and an eye beam blast shattered it, and Starfire stood unharmed.

Robin saw the smile on Starfire's face as she easily dodged the swarm of boulders and rocks that Raven launched at her.

"Terra was right, Raven. She knew what power you could command, but she also knew that defeating you is pathetically easy. All that needs to be done is to get you angry enough and you defeat yourself as you clamp down on everything to control it."

As if a switch had been thrown, the rocks and such crashed to the floor. Robin saw the triumphant look on Starfire's face, and he realized that he was seeing it through the shield. _'Raven is still in control,'_ he thought.

His thought was confirmed a moment later, when a blast of dark energy slammed into Starfire, pushing her back.

"That fight with Terra was over a year ago," Raven said as she advanced on Starfire, launching energy bolts at her as she went. "More importantly, it was before we defeated Trigon."

Dodging another blast, Starfire charged at Raven and hit her with a star bolt at close range. Raven managed to shield herself from the bolt, but the flash blinded her for a moment, giving Starfire the opening she needed.

Raven grunted as the kick Starfire landed knocked her to the ground. Moving quickly she knocked the redhead's feet out from under her. Unfortunately, the elbow she aimed at Starfire's mid section missed as she rolled away. "Robin's been teaching her too well," she said to herself as the impact of her elbow striking the floor numbed her entire arm. Ignoring the pain, she got back to her feet.

"You should have kept your distance," Starfire said as she landed a right cross that slammed Raven back into a pillar.

Robin winced as Starfire followed Raven in, driving her shoulder into the dark Titan's stomach, smashing her back as she rebounded off the pillar. As Raven sank to the ground, the bubble that had been shielding the other Titans vanished and they headed toward Raven to help.

They didn't make it.

A series of purple star bolts slammed into the floor across their path. "Sorry boys, but no party crashing allowed," Blackfire said as she came down from the crevice near the ceiling that she had been hiding in. Seeing that Beast Boy hadn't stopped, she fired a barrage of star bolts at him and she smirked as Robin jumped over and used his staff to deflect them. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Starfire had Raven hoisted over her shoulder and was heading down the passage. She launched another flurry of star bolts and backed away, following her sister. "Better luck next time, Titans."

Robin watched as the two birdarangs he had thrown stuck into the door that slid shut behind the retreating sisters. When they exploded, they left a slightly scorched spot on the steel, but that was all.

"Patience, Robin," Slade's voice said. "You'll be able to see them again, soon enough."

"Show yourself, Slade!" Robin shouted, but the only answer he got was the click of the loud speaker being turned off.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

"No," Nie'l gasped softly as he watched the monitor that made up the far wall of the room go dark. Red X looked on in grim silence. With them being shackled to the wall like they were, it was almost impossible to not watch.

"Most impressive, Starfire," Slade said as she came in with Raven slung over her shoulder. "The others should prove to be no problem."

"But I am still taking them one at a time in my own way." Starfire said as she turned from imprisoning Raven.

"Blackfire, I need some more of those gas pellets."

"The ones that I gave you were the only ones I brought with me." She looked over at where Shel'b and Chr's were and saw two spheres by their feet. "I take it they regained consciousness?"

"And with no control collar, they almost broke free."

"The next time they wake up will be after I have dealt with the rest of the Titans."

"Koriand'r, zu felo shu ca fet a shal?" Nie'l demanded. "Raven vat he shalay'fa, he cutana. Sha ensurana shu e shu avana fet ensura stenora shal. Shu keevana shal."

Starfire glared at Nie'l. "I did that because she is not my shalay'fa or my friend any longer. I did not betray her, she broke my trust in her when she tried to get into my mind that night I came to take you from the Titans."

"She was trying to help you. To get you to take the treatment for the radiation. . . .

"You will be silent!" Starfire shouted, cutting Nie'l off. Her left hand was raised and glowing bright green, prepared to deal the youngster a backhanded slap. The blow would have landed if Blackfire hadn't grabbed the arm. "You dare to stop me? I am the Empress of Tamaran."

Blackfire met here sister's angry green glare with her own violet one. "I dare because I am eldest, sister; and to remind you that you may be of the Royal Family, but you are still a warrior. We do not attack a defenseless opponent."

With a growl, Starfire jerked her arm from Blackfire's grasp, then stormed to the door. "I do not have time to deal with children."

Blackfire and Red X both winced inwardly when they saw the look on Nie'l's face at that comment.

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"We'd better get moving," Robin said.

"Or what, Slade will send some Sladebots after us?" Right after Beast Boy made that comment, there was a soft thud behind them.

"You had to ask," Cyborg groaned as he powered up his sonic cannon and blasted the nearest bot.

Robin saw that there were many bots massed behind them. "Titans, fall back" he said as he threw down a few smoke bombs, making a curtain of smoke between them and the bots.

"Well, at least they're not following us aaahhhhh!" Cyborg said then cried out as a trap door opened beneath him.

Robin pulled out his communicator. "Cyborg, come in."

"Yeah, I'm still here," came the reply. "I can't get back up, and seeing as you didn't follow me I guess the trap door closed back up. Listen, my scanners show that the tunnel I'm in and the one you're in join up about a hundred yards up ahead. I'll meet you there."

"_Right, see you then,"_ Robin's voice said over the communicator. Cyborg lowered his arm and turned to continue down the tunnel when he heard the familiar sound of Starfire warming up her star bolts. "My turn, huh?" he asked when he saw her hovering a few feet ahead.

"Yes, you will not make that meeting with the others."

"It doesn't have to be this way, Star."

"What? You want me to come back to the Tower with you so you can talk the others into throwing me out?" There was a moments silence as the two stared each other down. "I see that you do not deny that you were trying to do just that before."

"That was different, Starfire. You were out of control, and we didn't know what was wrong with you. You were becoming a danger to the team."

"Then why did not Robin see this and take actions to help me?"

"He did, Star. Remember your talks with Doctor Benson, and Doctor Meridian, and how Robin set those up?" Cyborg immediately realized that that was the wrong thing to say as Starfire's eyes now matched the glow at her hands.

"And what good did they do me? None, because there is nothing wrong with me."

"Then why are you attacking us? Why have you joined with Slade?" Cyborg saw that Starfire had cooled her star bolts and was rubbing her forehead as if fighting a headache. "Come on, Star. You know this is wrong."

Starfire's eyes narrowed as she glared at the titanium Titan. "I am tired of ruthasha telling me what is right or wrong!"

Cyborg barely had time to charge his sonic cannon and point it at Starfire when he was slammed back when her eye beam blast hit him full in the chest, knocking him back several feet. He managed to dodge the next few bolts she sent his way. "Don't make me do it, Star."

The next bolt found it's mark and the big Titan found himself on his back. "You are no warrior. You let your feelings get in the way of what you must do."

"The Starfire I know would do anything for her friends. Nothing could make her turn her back on them or attack them. That's how I know that you have been effected by that radiation." He quickly stood and fired a blast at her, narrowly missing, then had to dodge the bolder she tossed his way. As the rock struck the wall it shattered and a large chunk caught him in the back, and he sprawled face first on the floor.

Cyborg glanced over his shoulder and watched as Starfire readied and launched a star bolt at him, and he rolled away at the last moment. Coming up on one knee, he quickly aimed and fired his sonic blast, slamming Starfire into a wall and stunning her momentarily.

What he didn't notice was that when Starfire struck the wall, she knocked loose a wire conduit, baring some high voltage wires that fed Slade's computers. Not wanting to hurt Starfire anymore then necessary, he went over to her, planning on pinning her arms to her sides and heading toward where he was supposed to meet with Robin and Beast Boy.

It didn't work out that way.

He had just reached out to grab her when she thrust the exposed ends of the wires against his chest. Fortunately for Cyborg, he had improved the insulation between his circuits and his outer shell. If the charge had been one of Red X's or Slade's gadgets, it wouldn't have stopped him, but the jolt he got was many times more powerful.

"Nnnnoooooo!!" Cyborg cried as his system safeties kicked in and shut down.

"Take him and secure him with the others," Starfire ordered.

"I'm not one of your subjects to be ordered, little sister. But you're right, the other two are nearing your next surprise, so you don't have time to take him."

Starfire watched as Blackfire carried Cyborg off. "Only one more, then we shall see if Robin is as good as he says."

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"What was that?" Beast Boy asked when they heard the echoes of Cyborg's cry of pain.

"Cyborg, report," Robin said into his communicator. With static as his only reply, he studied the display on his communicator for a moment.

Beast Boy saw the worried look on Robin's face as he looked at the readings. "What is it?"

"His emergency safeties have taken him off line. What diagnostics I'm able to read show some damage, but a massive power serge is what took him down."

"Oh man."

"Beast Boy, I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"When you face her, don't hold back. Forget that promise you made me in the med-lab."

"Robin, I. . . . "

"Beast Boy, she's got to be stopped, and it's up to the two of us to do it."

"Robin, I almost killed her the last time. Raven's been helping me to control my anger in that form, but two days isn't enough. Even I know that."

"I have confidence in you, Garfield. Otherwise, with Slade at her side, even the Justice League might not be able to stop them."

"Especially if she brings the Tamaranean military into it."

"Beast Boy, she won't have to get the entire military involved. To be honest, it might be best if she did."

"Huh?"

"Beast Boy, it's already starting. When Star called for the Blood War, it should have been a rallying cry for every warrior to fall in behind her. Instead, all but one ship has decided to support Nie'l, at least for the moment. If we don't give the treatment to her, some of those ships are going to side with her, while others might stick with me and Nie'l. On top of a war with Earth, there'll be a civil war pitting Tamaranean against Tamaranean. If I remember what Starfire taught me of her history, there hasn't been one of them for over a thousand years."

The silence of the two considering the fates of two worlds was broken by the sound of a door sliding open and the tread of Sladebots entering the tunnel.

Beast Boy quickly morphed in to a huge green gorilla, and Robin threw a handful of discs into them. The resulting explosions took out several bots, but more flooded through the opening. Realizing that with Beast Boy attacking he couldn't risk hurting him with his discs, Robin drew his staff and waded into the swarm.

The battle was going fairly well, when suddenly several of the heavier robots entered the fray. Robin glanced over at where Beast Boy was using one of the larger robots, holding it by it's legs and swinging it like a baseball bat cutting a swath through the smaller bots. It was then that he noticed that the larger bots were forming a wall, cutting them off from each other.

"Beast Boy! Fall back! They're trying to separate us!" Robin knew his warning had come too late as a green ball of energy slammed into Beast Boy, knocking him to the ground. Growling in frustration, Robin intensified his attack on the bots surrounding him, falling into the rhythm of slamming his staff into bot after bot, blocking and returning blows. Suddenly, as if responding to some silent command the bots pulled back, forming a wall between Robin and Beast Boy. Robin's eyes went wide as he saw Starfire floating about six feet off the ground not far from where Beast Boy had gotten back to his feet. His moment of shock gave the bots the opening they needed, and he found himself held very securely by three of them.

"Come now, Beast Boy. Surely you can do better than that." she taunted. "Do you need me to attack Raven again to make you angry enough to face me? I assure you that she will not be able to fight for some time."

Beast Boy morphed into the gorilla again and leapt at her. She tried to dodge, but Beast Boy caught one of her ankles in a massive paw and dragged her down to the ground. He managed to swing her into the walls twice before she swung her other leg over and kicked him in the head and breaking his hold on her.

The impacts with the solid walls took their toll on the redhead, and she fell to the ground for a moment. Hearing a sound behind her, she turned and saw Beast Boy reaching down, his massive paw grabbing her head and lifting her up. With a primate roar, he drew back his other hand and started to bring it forward when Starfire managed to twist herself free and deliver another kick.

"Zota. I vechana. Good, Beast Boy. Now you present me with a challenge." she said when she saw him morph into his primal form. Almost immediately, she regretted her wish for him to take this form as he charged her, dodging her star bolts, his hands grabbing her around her waist. She grunted in pain as he slammed her into the wall then threw her to the middle of the area they were fighting in.

Robin's jaw dropped as he watched Beast Boy repeat the moves he made when fighting Adonis when he was also a primal creature. All Robin saw was a greenish blur as Beast Boy sprang from wall to wall each time landing a blow on Starfire, knocking her to the ground each time she got up. After the sixth time Starfire didn't rise, but lay panting on the ground. Beast Boy stopped himself and stood over her as he howled in victory. Robin heard her groan, as she moved slightly, her arm moving to push her up. He gasped softly as he watched Beast Boy pick her up as he did in the jewelry shop and lift her above his head.

"Yes, Beast Boy, kill me. It is the only way you can stop me."

Robin saw the expression on Beast Boy's face changed from the furious one to one of realization of what he was about to do. He dropped Starfire to the ground and backed off a few steps, morphing back to human form.

"No. I won't do it, Star. I'll just carry you out of here so we can get you well again."

Because of the bots between him and the two combatants, Robin couldn't see what happened next, but the bright green flash and Beast Boy's painful cry told him enough.

"Fool," Starfire said. "Never give up an advantage. Robin, to reach the others just continue down that tunnel. If you wish to free them, you will have to fight for them."

"Starfire, no!" Robin called, but she had picked up Beast Boy and went through the opening that the bots had entered through. He moved to follow her, but was cut off by five Sladebots. By the time they were nothing more than several piles of damaged electronics, the opening had closed.

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"I almost thought you had lost for a moment."

"I will admit that I almost underestimated him in that form, Slade. But as with the others, their friendship with me is their weakness."

"So all that leaves is your boyfriend."

"He is not my boyfriend, sister. You will do well to remember that."

Neither girl saw Slade's eye narrow, and he caught Starfire by surprise when his hand lashed out and grabbed her left wrist. "A ring dear girl?" Slade asked as he saw the lighter color of the skin on Starfire's left ring finger. "I do believe you haven't been lying to me about your relationship with Robin. He's not your boyfriend because he's your husband."

Starfire jerked her hand back and shot an angry glare at Blackfire. "Yes, he was my husband, but I have released him from the oath that bonded us together. I do not know what possessed me to ever think he would be acceptable to me."

'_Because the two of you are in love with each other,'_ Blackfire thought. _'and I hope you still are so the crystal will work.'_


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N** Toward the end of the chapter there is a fair amount of speaking done in Tamaranean. Following those lines is the translation in italics.

**Chapter 20**

"So, Starfire, what other things have you not been lying to me about?" Slade asked, then glanced over at where Nie'l was pinned to the wall. "If I am not mistaken, there was a time when you returned to your home planet. Let me guess, he not only thinks of you as his mother, but actually is, because you adopted him."

"While it is true that I did adopt him as my and Robin's son, when I released Robin from his Oath of Bonding to me, Nie'l lost that status."

"That explains Robin's interest in the boy."

"I do not care what you do to the Titans, but Nie'l and the other two Tamaraneans must be set free."

"Since our agreement was only for the capture and destruction of the Titans, I see no trouble with that."

Mentally, Blackfire sighed in relief. She had no idea on how to get Nie'l, Shel'b, and Chr's out if things went badly. She knew she would have to distract Starfire from her desire to conquer Earth, but if anything happened to Nie'l, the burnt husk that Earth would become wouldn't be habitable.

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Robin glared at the slab of stone that blocked his following Starfire for a moment, then headed down the tunnel. He didn't realize just how on edge he was, until his communicator beeped and he nearly jumped a foot. He pulled out his communicator and his brow furrowed in confusion when he saw who was calling. "Kim'r this is probably being monitored."

"Understood, Robin. Mijah di lujon."

"Pechevo." He replied, silently thanking Blackfire for teaching Kim'r some Salvainian. The message told him that everything was ready for Kim'r, Galfore and some other warriors to come in and transport Starfire and the others out of Slade's lair. "But first I've got to get the serum to her," he said to himself as he continued. He was surprised when he came to a door that slid open at his approach.

"Good to see ya, kid."

Robin was relieved to see Nie'l looked to be in good shape, although he still had the control collar on. His fists tightened as he saw the rest of his friends, each shackled to the wall. Cyborg, he knew, would be fine once he was re-activated, but he was fairly certain that both Beast Boy and Raven were in need of medical attention.

"They will receive the attention they need once you defeat me," Starfire said from off to his left. "If you do not, it will not matter."

"Robin, how good of you to join us," Slade said as Robin turned to face them.

Robin's heart sank when he saw Slade standing behind Starfire his hands on her shoulders. Blackfire was standing to his right. "I'm here, Slade, now keep your word and let the boy go."

Robin felt a sudden chill as Slade chuckled softly. "I would, Robin if were that simple." Robin's stomach churned as Slade reached up and stroked Starfire's hair with one hand. "But do you really want to separate a mother from her child? Besides, he'll make as good an apprentice as Starfire here makes as a partner. It's time for you to complete your side of our bargain, Starfire. Oh, and have fun."

As Slade said his last line, Starfire warmed up her star bolts and moved toward Robin.

"Koriand'r, co naf co fetan. Shu vata i Titan," he pleaded with her.

"I will do as I please, Robin, and I stopped being a Titan when you conspired against me."

Robin barely got his staff out in time to block the star bolts she sent his way.

"If you can defeat me, ruthasha, you and the others may go free. Otherwise, my sister and I will gather warriors that are loyal to us, and conquer this world."

Realizing that staying away from Starfire wasn't a good idea, and only provided her with target practice for her star bolts, he threw some flash disks at her and, while she was momentarily blinded, he closed the distance. His first blow connected with her left shoulder, and he mentally winced at her gasp of pain.

_'Do what you must, father,'_ Nie'l's thoughts came to him through the crystal bond they shared. _'She must be stopped.'_

Robin took a quick centering breath, and found himself on the defensive. He used his staff to block Starfire's punches and kicks easily. When she jumped back for a moment, he was surprised when a purple star bolt knocked the staff from his hands.

"Just evening the odds for you, little sister."

Mentally, Robin thanked Blackfire as he realized that if he kept using his staff that Starfire would resort to using a sword. Seeing that Starfire was still glaring at Blackfire for the interference, he moved in for the attack, his kick landing and shoving Starfire back almost to a wall. When he landed, he drew back his right fist, then froze as he looked at her face, unable to throw the punch. He realized his mistake, when her roundhouse kick sent him flying back to the center of the room

"Why are you holding back, Robin? Could it be that you hope to somehow regain me as your wife? I could never have those feelings for a rutha troq like you."

With a roar, Robin charged at Starfire, any feelings he had about holding back blasted away at her words. He could feel the stinging in his eyes as unshed tears gathered as he lashed out at her, landing several blows. He was glad that he had his armor on under his shirt as a eyebeam blast knocked him back.

"Enough of this," Starfire hissed as she picked up a sword from a table and charged him.

Drawing and extending a staff, Robin parried her blows and landed a few of his own. "Koriand'r, shu vata ne shamata, ne mathad. Pe vaya naf rocheva lo shu," he gasped. His eyes widened in shock as Starfire's sword hand started glowing with star bolt energy and the power enveloped the sword.

"Pe vaya mer shu!"

Robin fully believed that Starfire would carry out her threat to kill him, but he also knew that she was now fighting from anger. With her using her powers, her not thinking clearly on the fight might be his only advantage. Each time he parried her sword he could feel the heat from it on his face. Suddenly he realized that she was using the same pattern that she had before. He parried the blow from the right then left, then the head shot and spun his staff sweeping her feet out from under her, his return swing knocking her sword away. "Surrender, Starfire, I have beaten you."

"Rrrrraahhhh!" she shouted as she flew up from the floor, intending to flatten Robin with a star bolt charged fist, but he caught her wrist and fell back, planting his foot in her midsection and flipping her back where she slammed into Blackfire and Slade. As they tumbled to the floor, a device fell from Slade's hand and was crushed as he landed on it with his shoulder. There was a sharp click and the control collar was released from Nie'l's neck, as was the strap on Blackfire's wrist.

Slade was the first up, and he lunged at Robin, who simply bladed his body away from the kick. Seeing that the move left Slade open to a blow to the right side of his body, Robin landed a punch with all he had, and Slade staggered to his left and thumped into a wall.

"You know, Slade, that you'll have to release the Titans now. Your joining the fight violated the conditions that Starfire set for it. That makes her the loser by default."

"Father! Watch out!"

Nie'l's warning came just in time as Robin dodged a flurry of purple star bolts.

"Komand'r! Quomo vata shu canare?" Nie'l shouted.

Robin glanced behind him and saw exactly what Blackfire was doing. The bolts that he dodged took out the restraints that had been holding Red X. He watched as X stepped up and took his belt off the small table in front of him.

"You little. . . . " Slade said then lunged towards Blackfire, only to find himself blasted back against the wall by a green star bolt.

"You will not harm my sister!"

Robin smiled softly, but wiped it off his face as he dodged an eye beam shot from Starfire.

"You are correct, Robin, in that you and the others must now go free, but know this. When next I face you, I will not leave any of you alive."

Robin watched as Blackfire took something from a pocket in her skirt. "This is for your own good, sister," she said under her breath as she clasped a fine silver chain around Starfire's neck. _'Please let this work,'_ she thought as she watched the crystal laying on her sister's neckpiece. She sighed in relief when she saw it glow a bright green. The next events turned her relief to shock and concern.

Robin's staff and Starfire's sword clattered to the floor as they both clutched their heads at the flash of pain that went through them. Their screams echoed in the room as they sank to their knees. Robin knelt there panting heavily, his face a study in concentration as he struggled to deal with the emotions pouring through him.

Raven stirred from her unconscious state due to her bond with both of them. From Starfire all she was getting was confusion, shame, and revulsion at the memories that were flooding through her mind, but the images she was getting from Robin's mind almost scared her.

In his mind, Robin stood before an open doorway, one that was normally closed, sealed by a massive door that was secured by large steel bars and huge locks. On the other side of the doorway, looking back at him was. . . . .himself. The other Robin was dressed as Slade's apprentice, and he looked at the real Robin with an evil smirk.

"Come on, Robin," the evil twin said tauntingly. "You know you want to cross over."

"Robin, no," Raven's voice called weakly. "You mustn't."

Robin turned his head and saw Raven, bruised and beaten, struggling to stand. Her eyes pleading with him.

"Don't listen to her, she only wants to keep you weak," the doppelganger said. "Think of it, you and Starfire, together with Slade. You could rule this world with Starfire by your side."

"Robin, please no," Raven practically begged, distracting Robin as he took a step toward the threshold.

When Robin turned back toward the doorway, he found Nie'l standing there, blocking his path the crystal that linked their minds glowing brightly.

"I can not let you do this, father. You must not become that side of yourself. You gave me your word that you would bring her back."

"Nie'l, I. . . ." Robin began but was cut off by his evil side.

"What's it matter what promises you gave this child? He is a burden you didn't ask for and don't want."

Robin saw the pained shock on Niel's face at those words, and his head snapped up, his eyes narrowed in anger. He scooped Nie'l up into his arms and knocked his twin back away from the door with a spin kick. "Unasked for I admit, but unwanted, not in the least!" He took a step back from the doorway and the massive door slammed shut with a resounding boom. The steel bars clanged into place across it in three places, the locks snapping shut.

In the real world, Robin's head came up in time to see Slade swing his staff at him with a roar. He managed to grab his own staff, but knew he wouldn't be able to block the attack.

He didn't have to.

"No!" Nie'l shouted as a pair of red star bolts slammed into Slade's chest, knocking him onto his back several feet away. "I will not let you harm him anymore."

Robin smiled warmly at Nie'l as he got to his feet. Seeing that Slade was down, he went over to Starfire and helped her to her feet. Despite what he felt through their bond he was unsure as to what kind of reception she was going to give him. He sighed with relief as she breathed his name as she hugged him. Reveling in how good it felt, he returned the embrace and they stood there, oblivious to the world around them.

"Apprentice, come here."

Robin felt Starfire stiffen in his arms at the sound of Slade's voice._ 'You know what I've got to do,'_ He thought to her through their bond.

Starfire pulled back just far enough so they could look into each other's eyes. "Yes, my love, you are correct, it must be done. I will not be used as a pawn against you again."

"She's not your apprentice anymore, Slade," Robin said not breaking his eye contact with Starfire.

"As long as she has her powers, I will pursue her. I will use her to rule first this city, then the world."

On Slade's last line, Robin drew the syringe, that Vern'a had given him from his utility belt. As he placed the needle against her neck, he saw Starfire swallow nervously then nod. He glanced to his left and saw the astonishment in Slade's eye, and the stunned shock on Blackfire's face as he slid the needle in. "Don't bother," he growled as he pushed the plunger home. He felt her shudder as the serum coursed through her and her hands tighten on his shoulders. "Forgive me, Kori," he whispered as he gently touched his forehead to hers.

"Nothing to forgive, my beloved," she whispered back then went limp in his arms.

"Robin, no!!" Blackfire screamed as Robin lowered Starfire to the floor. She saw how much of the veka serum he had injected her sister with, and knew that a dose like that would render her powerless permanently. "What have you done?!"

"What was necessary, Blackfire. She no longer has her powers, so she's no interest to you, Slade. Not even to use a leverage against me seeing as she's made it clear she wasn't nothing more to do with either me or the Titans."

"Is what he says true, Blackfire? Don't bother to answer, the look on your face is answer enough."

"Robin, shu vaya zale san quom shu vena cana. Koriand'r, pe va juvelo shu!" _Robin you will pay for what you have done. Starfire, I will avenge you!_"

Komand'r! Na! Shu ca naflota quomo shu vata canara!" Nie'l shouted. _Blackfire! No! You do not know what you are doing!_

Robin was unprepared for the star bolt that slammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards into a wall. "Komand'r, liska. Pe cane naf zola Koriand'r seyla eternare." _Blackfire, stop. I did not make Koriand'r powerless permanently._ He told her, but realized that she wasn't listening as a flurry of star bolts slammed into his chest each one pushing him further across the room.

"Komand'r, fet ve che cura Robin adano shal," Nie'l said._ Komand'r, that was the cure Robin gave her._

Nie'l's words, and his standing between her and Robin finally registered in Blackfire's mind and she cooled her star bolts. "Thank X'Hal he had his armor on."

Robin groaned as he struggled to sit up. Suddenly he felt a hand steadying him, and he looked to his right to see who it was. "Bruce . . . .get Nie'l and Starfire to safety. Galfore, and Kim'r. . . . .will help with the fleet."

Batman glanced over and saw the red and gold blur that went past where Starfire lay, and she seemed to vanish as the Flash carried her out.

"Father, I do not wish to go. I will stay by your side and protect you."

"Nie'l, I need you to look after your mother. She's going to need you more than I will. She is going to feel very badly over what she has done and said." Robin watched as Nie'l nodded his head sadly and allowed himself to be taken away by Wonder Woman. "Bruce, Raven and Beast Boy need medical attention. Slade, he's. . . . ."

"Dick, relax, everyone will be taken care of, and Slade has been handed off to the authorities, as has Red X."

"He helped, Bruce. I owe him a debt," Robin said and drifted off into unconsciousness.


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry about all the e-mail alerts that came when this was put up. I was having problems with pargraph spacing with my new word processor.

Chapter 21

Starfire regained consciousness slowly. Keeping her eyes closed, she took stock of her situation. Judging by how sore she was, she reasoned that she was in a medical facility. The only question was; was she in Titans Tower, one of the hospitals, or the medical ward of Jump City's prison?_ 'With my recent actions and behavior, the prison ward is most likely,_' She thought sadly.

Not wanting to give away the fact that she was conscious, she opened her eyes barely enough to see. 'Well I am not in the med-lab at Titans Tower,' she thought when she didn't recognize what little she could see. She moved her eyes back to her left and saw someone standing there, looking at the monitors. The wave of happiness that coursed through her battled with the wave of dizziness and pain that washed over her, and she clenched her teeth together to keep from making any sound.

_'Leave it to Robin to be at my bedside,'_ she thought happily. However, at her thinking of Robin, her awareness of their bond flared to life. _'Though he is nearby, Robin is in no condition to be looking at monitors,' _Thinking over the face that she had seen, she realized that she had been mistaken about the length of the jet black hair. She also realized that if it had been, Robin she would have seen his mask, not the blue eyes that she had. Picturing the face in her mind, Starfire knew that there was something familiar about it, including the star shaped ear rings, but she couldn't place why.

"Is she awake?" a male voice asked.

"No, not yet," A woman's voice replied. "The monitors indicate that she's nearing consciousness, but as you can see she's still out." There was a pause. "Has there been a vote?"

"Sorry, Princess, but it's been decided to take it from her."

Starfire heard the snort of indignation from the woman. "Bruce is just being stubborn and overly secretive."

"Hey, that's just Bats being Bats."

Mentally Starfire gasped as she realized where she was, and who she had seen. '_This must be the medical facility on the Watchtower! That is the only place I know where anyone would refer to Batman as Bruce, and that was Wonder Woman I saw.'_

"The crystal is doing no harm to either of them, J'onn said so himself. He even said that taking it from either of them might cause problems for the other." Wonder Woman argued.

"Princess, I didn't vote for this, but they chose me to get it."

_'They wish to take my crystal from me!'_ Starfire thought. Her surprise turned to anger which became shock when she didn't feel her star bolt power._ 'I am seyla! No matter, I will not let them take my crystal.'_ Moving silently she slid off the bed, making sure to keep it between herself and the others. She shivered slightly at the cold floor on her bare feet, and she was relieved when she felt the cloth of the hospital gown she wore. Ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over her, she stood straight, and let go of the bed. When she opened her eyes she saw Wonder Woman, and a man beside her. The man wore a red costume that covered him from head to toe. The yellow lightening accents on the arms and legs, and the design on the chest completed the easily recognizable outfit of the Flash. As recognition came to her, Starfire saw that both of them were staring at her with their surprise at seeing her on her feet written on their faces. "As long as I can prevent it, you will not take the crystal I share with Robin."

"Flash, no," Wonder Woman said, but realized she was to late as he was no longer beside her. She sighed as she grabbed a blanket off the bed beside her, doubting that Flash could get the crystal from under Starfire's hospital gown without ripping it. What she saw next made her doubt he'd get it at all.

Starfire felt the breeze as the Flash reached her side. Unfortunately for him, Starfire had the opportunity to train with Kid Flash. That, and the hand to hand training she had been given from childhood caught him off guard as she slammed her elbow back into his midsection then turned quickly planting her right hand into his chest knocking him back several feet. The blow had other results as well.

Starfire closed her eyes against the pain that lanced up her arm, but it didn't slow her down. Between the effects of the serum, and her still adjusting to what she had done, Starfire's mind focused on a memory. A scene that occurred on Trogaar's ship. A guard had come to remove her from her cell, and she had lashed out, keeping her strength in check to avoid the control collar's shock. When she opened her eyes, she was still re-living that confrontation.

Wonder Woman gasped when she saw the feral look on Starfire's face, and she was glad that the Watchtower's computer could translate Tamaranean.

"Pe vat Vidi'an Koriand'r, Shovaka du Tamaran! Shu vaya naf ashari na chana fet rolare, Gordanian!" Starfire yelled.

"I am Princess Starfire Warrior of Tamaran! You will not touch me like that again, Gordanian!" Wonder Woman's communicator whispered into her ear. "Starfire, no. You're on the Watchtower and safe. The Gordanians are not here." She saw the confusion and fear on Starfire's face as she shook it as if to clear it. "Flash, stand down."

Starfire looked up and saw the Flash only a few feet away, and she knew she was in no condition to fight him. Focusing her mind she called out. "Raven, please! Shalay'fa, I need your help!"

Almost instantly, a large black raven shaped shadow phased up through the floor then dissipated to reveal Raven standing there, her eyes glowing white, and her hands primed with dark energy. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos!"

Flash suddenly found himself enveloped in that energy and felt himself picked up and pinned to the wall a few feet off the floor.

"Leave. Her. Alone." Raven said in her deathly calm voice.

"What is going on in there?" a strangely accented voice asked through the intercom. "What ever it is, stop it. It's effecting Robin and causing him to become agitated."

"Robin!" Starfire gasped as she stepped around the diagnostic bed and headed for the door. She grabbed what she thought was a large towel off a shelf, but found that it was a terry cloth robe. "Pe vaya tela shu, ne mathad."

Wonder Woman closed her eyes sadly as the translator whispered into her ear. 'I shall find you, my love.' "Raven, release him."

"Not until I'm certain that he won't go after her. She's very upset and confused. Some of that is a result of the serum, and what's happened to her recently, but something set her off."

"At Batman's insistence, the League has decided to take the crystal from her. I give you my word that Flash won't go after her."

"Hey, isn't my word good enough? I wasn't too happy about taking it anyway."

"We should alert the others. It isn't good that she's wandering around aimlessly."

"She's not," Raven explained. "The crystal will lead her to him. You have no idea what Robin would have gone through if you had taken the crystal from Starfire."

"What do you mean? All I was gonna do was take the crystal from her."

Raven gave Flash an annoyed look. "The crystal links their minds. That's why I know that Starfire will go straight to Robin. But if you had taken it, the link would have been broken and Robin would have thought that Starfire had died."

"We went through that once before, and I wouldn't want to repeat it," Cyborg said as he and Beast Boy came in the room. "What?" he asked when he saw the glare he was getting from Raven.

"Yeah, Raven, it's not like at least Batman knows about it."

"Beast Boy, there's more to it than that."

"Look, we all know that the Tamaraneans thought that Starfire had been killed in some accident last month, but it turned out that she was only slightly injured."

"See, Raven, you heard Flash. They do know," Cyborg said.

"But what does that have to do with the crystal?" Flash asked.

"Even interstellar distances don't interfere with the link the crystal makes between them," Raven said.

"During the evacuation of the VILTHUR'L, Starfire was slammed into a hatch opening and her crystal was shattered," Cyborg said. "Robin knew hours before that the VILTHUR'L was destroyed, but with the crystal being broken, he thought Star had died."

"Great Hera, J'onn was right! That's why he called before."

"Yes, with the way she was upset before, she couldn't help but send out waves of fear, and anger."

"Which, as an empath, you picked up on," Flash said.

"Right," Raven said, glad that she didn't have to reveal the bond she had with Starfire.

"Ummm, shouldn't we be going after her?" Beast Boy asked. "I mean she only just woke up and got out of bed."

"She's well enough, Beast Boy," Raven replied. "And if she has to, she can defend herself, but I doubt that will be a problem here."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Starfire was moving quickly through the corridors of the Watchtower and, after the first two turns she made, she knew she wouldn't have been unable to find her way back to the medical section. Not that she'd want to anyway. The only thing on her mind was reaching Robin. To confirm by touch and sight that he was still alive. She came to a stop when she reached a door that was locked.

"You're not going in there."

Starfire turned toward the soft male voice. "I know you do not approve of Robin's and my relationship, but you have no right to keep me from my husband."

Batman almost smiled at the fact that Starfire was apparently nonplussed at seeing him. "Shu alanchena krel zelo kren oteri a shu."

"It is true that I said that I released him from his oaths to me, but I was not thinking clearly at the time. Why do you wish to keep us apart?"

"Because his relationship with you is a threat to him, and to the stability of his team." He watched as Starfire turned back to the door, and pounded on it with both fists. From what he knew about her, he knew that if she had use of her powers the door would be so much scrap now. The third time she did it he saw a smear of blood from a cut on her hands. "I'm not going to let you in there," he said, and went to pull her away from the door.

His hand never touched her shoulder as a red star bolt knocked him back away from her. "Off worlders are not allowed to touch the Empress!" Nie'l shouted as he moved beside Starfire, his eyes and hands glowing. "You will open this door or I will, but I will not guarantee that it will be able to close afterward."

Batman reached for his utility belt, but a voice behind him caused him to stop.

"Think carefully before you act, ruthasha," Shel'b warned. "You will not be permitted to harm our Grand Ruler, or Empress Starfire."

Batman turned and saw both Shel'b and Chr's standing a few feet away, their star bolts primed and ready.

"You have accused Robin of endangering Earth with interstellar war with Tamaran," Chr's said. "If you harm either of them, you will ensure that one will take place."

Batman moved his hands from his belt, and touched his fingers to his right ear, activating his comm link. "J'onn, open up."The door opened and Starfire quickly entered and went to Robin's bedside.

"X'Hal, my love, what has happened to you?" she asked when she saw the bruising on the upper part of his chest that was visible above the sheet, and the small burns on his face.

"You did, Starfire."

"Don't lie to her, Bruce!" Wonder Woman said as she and the rest of the Titans entered the room. "She didn't do that to him, and you know it."

"If it hadn't been for his feelings for her, it wouldn't have happened at all."

"That's not open for debate, Bruce. He's not your apprentice anymore. You can't dictate on his behavior."

"We know who you are, Mister Wayne," Raven said seeing the scowl on his face when Diana called him Bruce. "Richard told us who he is."

"Star, what is it?" Cyborg asked seeing the look of astonishment on her face.

"What Wonder Woman called Robin. That he was Batman's apprentice. I thought only that Slade. . . . ."

"That was different, Starfire," Raven said softly. "He was with Bruce voluntarily."

Starfire nodded her head, then faced them, her eyes downcast. "I am most happy to see you all well, friends. Before you speak, Mister Wayne, I know full well that I am indeed the reason for their injuries. I hope they can forgive me for causing them."

"It's okay, Starfire. You weren't yourself." Raven said as they all went over to her and formed a group hug.

After a moment, the hug broke up and Starfire knelt down and held her hand out toward Nie'l "I am happy to see you as well, Shoka." Bruce raised an eyebrow as Starfire's eyes reflected her sadness when the youngster didn't come any closer. "I understand your reluctance to be near me, Nie'l. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to regain your trust. I hope that for all of you. I know that you are standing by me as a team mate, but I am also certain that you do not fully trust me. To not try to convince me otherwise, Friend Cyborg. After what I have done over the last month, it is to be expected."

"Star. . . . . .fire," Robin's voice called softly.

"Robin!" Starfire cried happily as she quickly moved to his side and took his hand. "Thank X'Hal! She had to blink her eyes a couple of times to clear them of tears as she gently stroked his cheek with her other hand. "Nevana ne loneva,"

"Nothing to forgive, beloved. You were not yourself.""Dick, you need to rest."

"This is more important, Bruce. At least to me."

It was two hours later, and Bruce stood at the doorway as he looked at the couple. Robin had fallen asleep only a few minutes after he had awakened, and Starfire was also sleeping. Her head lay on the pillow beside Robins, her right hand holding his left and her left arm draped around his head.

"You care for him deeply, do you not?"

Bruce turned and saw Galfore standing behind him. "I'm just worried about him."

Galfore smiled softly. "Do not try to fool this old k'norfka. Koriand'r was in my charge since she turned four of your Earth years, and Komand'r was my charge before that. She is like a daughter to me, as I can tell that Robin is like a son to you."

"It doesn't bother you that she has chosen someone not from Tamaran to share her life with?"

"I was never more proud of her than when she informed me of her desire to bond with him."

"That's not what I understood, from what Robin told me happened."

"That was because I had to put the needs of Tamaran before my feelings for her. When Robin and the others came to Tamaran, I could see that they were both attracted to the other, but had not yet reached the point where they would admit it to themselves, let alone to each other. That she chose him as her Shalocfa, and that they later took the Oath of Bonding was no surprise to those of us who are close to her." Galfore was silent for a moment, deciding about what he was going to say. "Robin is a very special person. He is in all respects but species Tamaranean. He is a skilled warrior, a gifted tactician. He is deeply loyal to those he calls friends and those he calls enemy are wise to fear him. With all this, he still is able to care deeply for Koriand'r."

"You realize she will face an investigation into what she has done?"

"I was not aware of that, but it is not unexpected. As a warrior, she knows that any action she takes is subject to review."

"Her being of the Royal Family doesn't earn her any special treatment?"

"She herself will tell you that she is first and foremost a Warrior of Tamaran, deserving of no special treatment due to an accident of birth." Galfore looked over at where Starfire was, then back at Batman. "May I ask you a question? When you are performing your investigation, will you be impartial enough to allow them to stay together?"

"If I can be convinced that there won't be a repeat of what happened over the last month, I believe so."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

The next morning Starfire found the other Titans in a conference room of the Watchtower. Either Beast Boy or Cyborg had gotten a game station from somewhere, and they had it set up and were running a racing game. Raven was sitting about half way up the table from them reading a book. They all looked towards her when the door opened.

"Star!" Beast Boy said happily as he dropped his controller and ran over to give her a hug. "It's good ta see ya."

Starfire returned the hug. "It is good to see you as well."

"Star, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Cyborg. It is just that I wish to apologize to you all for my recent actions. I have done terrible things, and caused harm to you all. I do not know who left this on the table beside my bed, but I can not accept it." The room was silent as she set a Titans communicator down on the table. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have some thinking to do."

"Dude, did she just resign from the Titans?"

"I don't think so, Beast Boy, but I'm going to find out."

Beast Boy and Cyborg followed Raven out into the hall.

Starfire was indeed thinking as she walked down the corridor. So deeply, in fact, that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her, and jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Immediately she knew who it was that had touched her, as the contact intensified the bond between them. She felt Raven's concern for her and she smiled softly as she felt a warm feeling wash over her. A feeling that intensified when she saw that Beast Boy and Cyborg were with her.

"Starfire, we want to talk to you."

"Of course. What is it you wish to discuss?"

"You and this," Cyborg said, holding up the communicator.

"It is as I said. With my recent actions, I can not accept it, as I do not believe that I am worthy of being a Titan. I know that you are my friends and may be willing to over look what I have done, but. . . ."

"But nothing, Star. You weren't in your right mind when you were doing those things. Raven knows it, Robin knows it and so do I. Deep down inside, you were fighting to stop yourself."

Starfire looked at Beast Boy her head tilted slightly to one side. "I understand how Raven and Robin knew of that, but how did you?"

Beast Boy blushed slightly at the annoyed look Raven was giving him. "Remember that time when Cy and I went into Raven's mind?" he asked, and Starfire nodded. "We've had a bond since then, only we both closed it off." He was silent for a moment. "I thought you knew about that, since you used it. . . ." he began but trailed off when he saw the sad look on Starfire's face. "Sorry."

"It is alright, Friend Beast Boy. I did not know until I found your link when I searched Raven's mind. I am most happy that the two of you have started a relationship."

"Star, we forgive you. We want you back on the team, so just keep this. Okay?"

Starfire took the communicator that Cyborg held out to her. "I thank you. In all honesty, I thought that I might have been in the prison when I awoke."

"So how is Robin? I mean he must be alright, seeing as you're not at his side."

"He is recovering. I am not there because he is undergoing some tests, and would be more comfortable with me not there."

"Are you sure it isn't that Batman told you to leave?"

"No, Beast Boy. He may try, but on his own, he will not keep me from Robin's side. I do not understand why he does not like me. We have never met, yet he views me with suspicion and distrust."

"It's not just you, Starfire. That's how he is to everyone." Raven said.

"Highness, you should not be without an escort." Kim'r said as she walked up.

"I am with them, Captain. I could not be in better hands."

"Koriand'r, until you are no longer seyla, you should be accompanied by one of us." Kim'r insisted.

"Kim'r, this is the Watchtower, not only are the Titans here, but this is the headquarters of some of Earth's greatest heroes. I could not be safer."

"As you wish, Highness. I also wish to pass on that Robin has finished with the testing and is wondering where you are. Koriand'r, he is your husband, unless you mean for your releasing him from his oaths to you to remain in effect. You should not be blocking your bond with him."

"I am not blocking it to keep him out, Kim'r. It is that I am not certain that he trusts me, and wants to have anything to do with me now."

"Koriand'r, he risked much to get the cure to you. I do not mean just in the fact that he had to fight you. He knew that when Komand'r placed the crystal on you that you would be using his sense of honor, and mental discipline to counteract what the radiation had caused. He loves you, Highness, completely and without reservation."

Starfire sighed softly. "Thank you Kim'r, I hope that you are correct."

"If you were not blocking your bond with him, you would know."

Starfire smiled sheepishly. "If you will excuse me, I believe I will go talk to him."

"I do not know about her," Kim'r said with a chuckle as Starfire walked down the hall.

"She's uncertain because of what she's done lately, and she's not used to that."

"I know you are correct, Titan Raven. I just hope that I am correct in my assessment of Robin and his feelings for her."

Raven didn't reply, but Beast Boy noticed the small smile that flickered on her face.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Starfire arrived at the door to the room Robin was in just as J'onn was leaving. She returned the gentle smile that the Martian Manhunter gave her, then stopped just inside the doorway. She saw that Nie'l was talking to Robin, and she didn't want to interrupt, knowing that the youngster would likely leave the moment he saw her.

"Nie'l, it's alright. She understands why you're uncomfortable around her."

"No, father, it is not. I am dishonoring my sister's memory with my actions."

"Nie'l, you have been more like Sher'l than you realize."

"How can you say that? Every time I see her, all I can see in my mind is her leaning down to hug me, then the pressure of her fingers on the back of my neck, then her attacking you so that she could take me hostage."

"I can say it, because you took a vithra bite in her place," Robin said, then looked over at where Starfire stood when he heard her gasp of surprise. "He should know, Kori."

"Know what?" Nie'l asked, unconsciously backing up closer to Robin.

"That you saved my life when you kept the vithra from biting me," Starfire said as she took a few steps closer to them.

Nie'l's confusion was clearly visible on his face as he thought that over. "But all the bite would have done is make you sick, like it did me."

"No, Nie'l, it would not," Starfire said as she knelt down to be eye to eye with him. "I am allergic to both the vithra venom and the antivenin. If I had been bitten, I would have been dead in seconds. Nie'l, Robin is correct, and I do understand your feelings and your fear of me. I only hope that we can work through them. I can not deny the actions that I have taken, and can only say that I am appalled by them, and that I regret them deeply."

Nie'l looked over at Robin, who nodded slightly. "I am willing to make a start at renewing our family, but I would need some thing from you to assure me that you are also willing, Koriand'r."

"I can not think of anything that I would say no to, Nie'l."

Nie'l glanced over at Robin who caught the mischievous gleam in the youngster's eyes. "I want you to take the Oath of Bonding with Robin again."

Robin saw the look of uncertainty on Starfire's face at the demand, and he smiled softly when he felt her reason for it through their bond. "Koriand'r, Vidak'an du Tamaran, shu vata ne mathad, e genthelas du penefa. Shu vata nevento che genthalas du ne corino." he said, reciting his half of the Oath. He couldn't keep the smile from his face as he watched Starfire's eyes brighten in both happiness and from the tears that were forming. He could hear the emotions going through her in the huskiness of her voice as she spoke.

"Robin, shu vata ne mathad e genthalas du penefa. Shu vata nevento che genthalas du ne corino."

Robin sat up then stood and crossed over to where she stood. He reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Koriand'r, shu vata ne itera."

"Robin," she said, then had to clear her throat. "Robin, shu vata ne itera. She didn't pull back as Robin pulled her into a hug. "Robin I am so sorry for what I have done." she said softly as she traced her fingers over a bright red patch of skin on his right arm.

"The burns and most of the bruises and cuts you didn't do," he told her. "Blackfire was. . . . .upset when she thought I had given you enough veka serum to leave you powerless permanently."

"Upset? Father, she was absolutely furious. If I had not gotten between her and you, she might have killed you."

Robin not only saw the shock on Starfire's face, but felt it through their bond as well. "That's why you haven't seen her. She's currently under confinement in a room."

"And Kor'mel allows that?"

"He was convinced that her actions might have not been part of her being undercover to help you."

"How do you know all this?"

"Bruce was here before, while I was being examined by J'onn. He told me, and gave me this." Starfire looked at the disk Robin held. "It's from the video cameras that Slade had set up in the room, and he told me to make sure I showed it to you." Robin slid his arm around Starfire's waist and the went to the computer beside the bed.

The screen came to life with Robin helping Starfire to her feet. They hugged for a moment, then Slade's voice called out.

"Apprentice, come here."

"She's not your apprentice anymore, Slade," Robin said not breaking his eye contact with Starfire.

"As long as she has her powers, I will pursue her. I will use her to rule first this city, then the world."

She watched the screen as Robin drew a syringe from his utility belt. As he placed the needle against her neck. She saw herself swallow nervously then nod. Robin glanced to his left, then spoke as he slid the needle under her skin. A moment later she went limp in his arms.

"Robin, no!!" Blackfire screamed as Robin lowered Starfire to the floor. "What have you done?!"

"What was necessary, Blackfire. She no longer has her powers, so she's no interest to you, Slade. Not even to use a leverage against me seeing as she's made it clear she wasn't nothing more to do with either me or the Titans."

"Is what he says true, Blackfire? Don't bother to answer, the look on your face is answer enough."

"X'Hal no, sister," Starfire said softly as she heard Blackfire's shouts and watched as she attacked Robin. She also saw Red X in the background fighting with Slade to keep him from attacking as well.

"I did not know that she would do that."

"Neither did we," Galfore said as he and Kim'r came into the room. "We knew that keeping her unaware that what Robin would give you was the cure was necessary so that Slade would believe that you no longer had your powers and no longer try to capture you."

"We did not believe that Komand'r would feel that strongly about that," Kim'r said. "Or that you would either, for that matter. Your attack on Slade, to keep him from attacking Komand'r pleasantly surprised us."

"By defending her sister? I thought you two knew Starfire better than that. Blackfire is her family, no matter how she treated her, she would defend her."

"I am not surprised that you knew this about me, but they did not, Robin. Remember our conversation on the night of your Acceptance?

Robin thought a moment, then remembered. It was right after he, Raven and Starfire had gone to her room to talk. He had just taken the Oath of Acceptance and become a Warrior of Tamaran. Starfire's gift to him had been a sword and dagger set.

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_

_Starfire reached out and carefully brushed her fingertips over the blade Robin held, her eyes unfocused as she was lost in thought. "This is my gift to you, Gentha'fa. As you have guessed this is an old blade. To my personal knowledge it is at least fifty of your Earth years old." _

"Your father's?"

"Given to him by his sister, Liand'r on the day of his acceptance, along with this."

Robin took the dagger that Starfire held out to him. Simply a smaller version of the sword, it's eight inch blade also bore the telltale signs of care. Realizing what sentimental value these two blades would have for Starfire, he had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could speak. "Kori, I am honored by your giving these to me. Just saying thank you doesn't even begin to express how I feel."

"I am confident that you will wear them and use them with honor, my love. By giving you those, I am giving you far more than just my memories of my father, I am making you part of my family." She reached up and gently brushed her fingers over his cheek, then peeled his mask off. "You were not there, the night you gave me the letter you enclosed in the get well card. I made sure I was alone when I read it closely, and completely, and I cried when I read at how your parents were taken from you, but my sadness was over taken by my shock at how you felt that we had the loss of our parents as a common ground. I have never looked at my leaving Tamaran, as a prize of war, as anything but a low point in my life. You have taught me that even though it was that, it also was the first of a chain of events that brought us together, and I wish to thank you for that."

Robin had slid his gloves off and he felt Starfire's shiver as he slid his fingers through her bangs, then feathered them across her forehead. "The night my parents were killed, a part of me died as well, my love, and I buried it deep inside. Bruce was like a father to me for many years, but I still kept that part of me locked away only showing glimpses of it to the only person I thought would understand."

"The Batgirl, Barbara Gordon?"

Robin gave a dry chuckle at that suggestion. "No, not Babs. She and I didn't have that kind of a relationship. In all honesty it was Alfred, Bruce's butler that I would relax enough to let see that part of me. He has been the only one, until recently, with you. The Titans mean as much to me as I believe any family could, but you're more special to me than any of them. As you said in your room, when we found the zorka berries had been tampered with and taken, that I am the only one that you will allow to see you crying, there's a part of me that I only allow you to see, because I know that you share those feelings. Especially the fear that those you love and care deeply for may be taken from you."

Robin saw the astonishment in her eyes as the widened slightly as she looked at him. "I. . .I did not think that you would be able to relate to my reasons for not telling you more plainly of my feelings for you. I feared that if I did I would push you away, and you would be lost to me, or that if I let myself care for you too much that I would somehow loose you."

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_

"There is a another reason why we are here," Galfore said. "Tomorrow, there will be a meeting which Koriand'r will be required to attend."

"It seems that there are members in this Justice League that do not believe that she is trustworthy enough to continue in her role as a Titan, and they wish for her to answer for her recent conduct," Kim'r said.

Robin looked over at Starfire and saw the concern on her face. "Don't worry, Star. You won't be alone in there, I promise you that."

"I thank you for that, my husband. I fear that I will need the support."

"Husband?" Kim'r asked smiling broadly. "So you have told him that you do not wish to release him from his oaths to you?"

"Actually, we have taken the Oath of Bonding again, with Nie'l as witness. He wished us to as part of his trusting me again." Starfire was surprised at the feeling of someone taking her hand. She looked down and saw Nie'l looking back up at her with a huge smile.

"Someone had to get you two back together," he said.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23

Starfire kept her head up and fought to keep the nervousness she felt from her face as she entered the room. She was facing a crescent shaped table with the two legs turned toward her and a chair set at the center. The members of the Justice League were seated on the other side of the table with Superman in the center. To his right were Batman and Green Lantern. On his left was J'onn, Wonder Woman and Flash. "Have a seat, Starfire," Superman said. "We have some questions to ask you."

"So I understand."

No sooner had she taken her seat than the door opened again and the rest of the Titans entered. Robin came up and stood on her right side, placing his left hand on her shoulder, and Raven took a similar position on her left. Cyborg and Beast Boy stood shoulder to shoulder behind her.

"This is a meeting to question Starfire about her recent conduct, and to see if we feel that she can continue as a Titan," Batman said. "This does not concern you."

"Starfire is both a member of our team and a very close friend," Robin said, not looking at his old mentor, but at Superman. "Any decision you make affects not only her, but us as well. We are here for that reason, and to give her our support."

"Robin. . . . ."

"He's right, Batman," Superman said, cutting him off. "They have a stake in this too." There was a moment of silence. "We understand that you have complete memory of your actions over the last two months."

"That is correct. My memories are intact, although I had some small lapses in the beginning."

"What do you mean, lapses?"

"I believe the word to be self explanatory, Green Lantern. There were a few times where I did not have a memory of doing things."

"Such as attacking your team mate, Beast Boy, or your leader, Robin," Batman said. "At least for the first times."

Robin ground his teeth as he felt the slight slumping of Starfire's shoulder under his hand. "The first time, I have been told, was when I was performing on the obstacle course. After I had finished the run, I narrowly missed Beast Boy with a star bolt. The other time was during a battle with Cinderblock. I was going to distract him with a few star bolts so that Raven could subdue him with her powers. The next thing I remember is seeing both Cinderblock and Robin on the ground. I was later shown a video of the battle and my hitting my husband in the back with a star bolt."

"Husband?" Flash asked.

"Robin and I have been properly married, according to Tamaranean law, for the last three of your months."

"So you don't deny attacking your team mates, attempting to kidnap your adopted son, and calling for your people to go to war with Earth?"

"No, Batman, I do not, but in my defense, I was not in my normal state of mind." She cleared her throat as her left hand went to where Robin's was on her right shoulder. "I know that my actions hurt those I hold as my closest friends. Those I hold as close as I would family. I hope that they will be able to forgive me, and trust me again, but what I have done is well documented and I can not deny them. I would take them back if I could."

"You realize that you broke several laws while you were working with Red X, right?"

"Yes, Green Lantern I do, and that I may be required to be confined for that."

"If you do decide that, I hope that Hawkgirl has a cell next door," Robin said softly.

"That was different," Green Lantern protested.

"I know," Robin said. "She came to Earth with the express purpose of assessing Earth's defenses, including all of you. I can assure you that Starfire did not."

"But that does not make my actions any less heinous, Robin," Starfire said, then looked over at a monitor that had just come on. The first scene was both Shel'b and Chr's laying unconscious on the floor with Starfire and Blackfire picking them up. Then the scene shifted to the end of Starfire's battle with Raven. "May I ask why these are being shown? I have already stated that I remember having done those things. They are not pleasant memories by any means." The scenes on the monitor continued to show that ending of the battles between Starfire and the other Titans, ending when Robin standing before her, his right hand drawn back, the emotional pain clearly visible on his face.

"We know you remember those," Batman said. "Can you explain this?" The monitor flickered and the scene was what was recorded in the abandoned warehouse and left for Robin to find on the lap top. "You said that because he saved your life that Red X was a better choice for you as a husband, then you released Robin from his oaths to you. Including the one that made you husband and wife."

Starfire's eye were glued to the picture on the monitor. It showed her standing beside Red X her chin resting on her folded has on his shoulder, and she felt her cheeks flaming in shame and embarrassment. "I was confused and not thinking properly," she said softly.

"And she has been given the cure for the radiation sickness that was effecting her," Robin said. "She isn't a threat to us anymore."

"That remains to be seen, Robin. Do you still have romantic feelings for her?"

"Yes, Bruce, I do, and nothing you do will change that. And just so you know, she and I have taken the Oath of Bonding again. Not because I felt that she meant what she said in the message, but because I wanted to reassure her that I still felt the same for her."

"This is straying from the purpose of this meeting," Wonder Woman said.

"Agreed," Superman said. "You're excused until we reach a decision."

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"And I thought you were obsessive," Beast Boy commented after the door had closed behind them.

"He really doesn't like that you two are together, does he?"

"Let's just say that Bruce has issues with trust, Cy."

"Does he trust you?"

Robin glanced over at Raven before he answered her question. "I used to think so, Raven. Now I'm not so sure. Listen guys, I'd like some time alone with Star."

"Sure, no problem." Cyborg said and he, Beast Boy, and Raven headed down the corridor.

The two walked in silence, and Robin could feel that something was bothering Starfire, but he respected her and her privacy too much to simply reach through their bond and find out what.

"Robin, is there somewhere that we may look upon the Earth from here?"

"Sure, Star. Right this way." Robin led the way and soon they stood before the large view port tat looked down on Earth. He was just wondering why she hadn't at least taken his hand as they walked, when she slid her arm around his waist and lay her head on his shoulder. "Kori?" he called softly when he heard her sigh.

"I did not appreciate how beautiful your world is before, Robin. I have come to love it almost as much as Tamaran."

The couple was silent for a few moments, and it was Robin who spoke first. "Kori, I know your fear about possibly having to leave is bothering you, but I can tell there's something else. What is it, mathad?"

Starfire took a few steps away from Robin, her head bowed, hugging herself as if warding off a chill. "X'Hal, Robin, how can you stand to look at me, let alone call me beloved after what I've done?"

"Robin walked over to her, and took her left hand in both of his. "This is why, Kori," he told her his right thumb brushing over the band of Tamaranean steel on her ring finger. "Shu vata ne shamata, ne aduna."

"Your wife and life partner," she echoed softly, then saw the confusion on Robin's face as she pulled her hand away. "What you told Slade was true. I made it very clear that I wanted nothing further to do with the Titans. . . . . .or you." Robin saw that she shuddered at the memories of what she had done over the last two months. "And when I was with Red X, I. . . . ."

Robin flinched at the choked sob that came from her and he stepped in front of her, framing her face in his hands his thumbs wiping away her tears. "Kori, I need you to look at me and answer one question."

Starfire took a deep breath, and nodded her head. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that he had removed his mask. "What is it you wish to ask?"

Robin took a deep breath. "Did anything physical happen between you and Red X?"

"No," Starfire replied, and Robin sighed in relief. "But it was not for lack of desire on my part," she added softly.

"Did that feel right all the time?"

"No. It was most confusing. You are my husband. I am a Titan and he is a criminal, but it was as if I could not help myself."

"Because you couldn't. You were under the influence of what ever that radiation did to you. I know you were fighting it Kori." Robin sighed as he felt her dismay and confusion as Starfire hugged him tightly.

"It was as if some one took over my mind. I could see what was happening, but I could not stop myself." She pulled back from the embrace and took out her crystal. "When my sister put this on me, and I felt your mind again, it was as if I had been set free." She glanced sideways at him. "I also felt what you went through when the bond was reformed. I did not think that Nie'l was a burden to you."

Robin looked out through the view port. "As I told my other self, Star, he is no burden, nor is he unwanted."

"May I ask you some things?"

"Certainly, anything, you know that."

"Did Galfore and Kim'r tell you what kind of strain you would undergo when the link formed with me in that condition?"

"No, but it wouldn't have made any difference to me if they had. I love you, Star, nothing would have kept me from trying to save you."

"After what I said to you, did to you, even to the point of calling you a rutha troq, how can you still feel that way for me?"

"Kori, part of the vows of a wedding ceremony is that we will take each other for better or worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I know that we have not been married by any Earth custom, but those feelings, those bonds are there. I'm sure that you've told Raven something along the lines of the fact that there's nothing she can say that will stop your relationship with her. As your Shalay'fa, that's how it should be. As your aduna or life partner it's the same way with me."

"Is there nothing that you can not forgive me for?" Starfire asked as she slid her arm around his waist and looked back at the Earth.

"I don't think so Star, especially if you have some explanation as to why you did it."

The two stood there for a while, arm in arm as they watched the Earth turning below them. They both turned when the sound of someone clearing their throat sounded behind them.

"I do not wish to intrude, my Lady," Kim'r said. "But I have been sent to deliver a message for you from Galfore."

They turned and face the older warrior, Robin's eyebrow raised at the formality of her speech. It rose even further when Starfire spoke.

"Then why are you still standing, Captain?"

Kim'r's surprise lasted only a moment then she dropped to her left knee. "Your pardon, my Lady. I meant no disrespect. Galfore has sent me to pass on his request for an audience with you aboard the ROHA'N. He has spoken to the one known as Superman and, wisely, he has granted you permission to leave the Watchtower."

"It'll only take me a second to change," Robin said, realizing that a formal audience would be best done in his dress armor.

"No, Highness, this is a private audience between Koriand'r and Galfore. You will not be attending."

"Even though you are my husband, and a warrior, Galfore is within his rights to ask to see me alone. To be honest, I have been expecting this. After recent events the Ca'ri will have questions about my status as Empress, and Nie'l's fitness as Emperor."

Kim'r noted Robin's confusion. "The Ca'ri is something like the parliament in the country you call England. While the Grand Ruler may make decrees and set laws, the Ca'ri sees to the day to day process of running the planet."

"So they are the ones that Galfore was saying that Star and I weren't thinking things through when I was waiting to be confirmed as her shalocfa?"

"That is correct. This will be short, my husband. Vern'a will assure them that I am back to my normal self, and that my being seyla is only temporary due to the action of the cure. I do not foresee any problems."

"All right, Kori," Robin agreed reluctantly. He remembered all to well what happened the last time she went aboard the Tamaranean flagship feeling that nothing would go wrong.

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It was about an hour later, and Robin was looking out the view port into space. He heard the footsteps behind him, and knowing that the Justice League was still discussing things, felt that which ever of the Titans it was would only bother him if it was important.

"Taking a look at the representatives of the Tamaranean fleet, I see"

Robin turned at the unfamiliar voice, then bowed from the waist. "Princess, Diana. I apologize for my rudeness I didn't realize it was you."

A look of surprise passed over Diana's face, then she smiled warmly at Robin. "I believe that you are the first person to actually bow to me off Themyscira. I thank you for the honor."

Robin straightened up and shrugged slightly. "I recognize Starfire as Empress, then it seems natural for me to recognize your status, Princess."

"Diana will do, Richard. As I said, I see you're watching our current visitors from the Tamaranean fleet."

Robin turned and looked out to the two wedge-shaped craft hanging amidst the backdrop of stars. "The ROHA'N is the one closer to us, and the SOMOR'O is the further one." Robin was silent for a moment, then looked over at Diana. "So the vote has been taken?"

"No. Not yet. Bruce is still trying to convince the others that the two of you being romantically involved isn't a good idea."

"To be honest it's a little to late for that to be an issue. The only thing he can do at this point is either to imprison her, banish her from Earth, or say that she can no longer be a Titan."

"And if we decide to imprison her? Do you still say that Shayera Hol should join her?"

"Yes. I also won't apologize for my statements in there. I realize that I may have set Green Lantern against us with that, but it's how I feel about it."

Diana looked out at the two star ships. "Actually, that helped John come over to your side. He knows what you and she would go through if we try to separate you." She looked over and caught Robin's questioning look. "You should know that whatever decision is reached concerning Starfire, it won't be unanimous. Green Lantern and myself are both on your side."

"And I know where Bruce stands," Robin put in. "Prin. . .Diana, you know them better than I do. How will the others decide?"

"I can't honestly say. Flash will wait to see how the majority votes then fall in with them. J'onn J'onzz may be on your side, as he also knows what it's like to be separated from a loved one. Superman will weigh both sides very carefully before he decides." She was silent for a moment. "I've seen how she acts and feels toward you, and I don't believe that we should have any part of diminishing that."

"Thank you, Diana. Hearing that from you gives me hope."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

Robin shifted his position slightly, readying himself for Raven's counterattack and he managed to dodge the bursts of energy she launched at him, and he tossed a birdarang at her, distracting her enough that he was able to jump up and tackle her out of the air. He was surprised that she let him land on top of her, but realized her intention as he felt her knee on his chest and he was pushed clear when they landed. He lay there a moment, the breath knocked out of him, and he slapped the mat three times with his hand, signaling his conceding the round to her.

"At least this time I didn't break any of your ribs," Raven commented as she helped Robin to his feet.

"You're getting better, but I still feel that you depend on your powers to much," Robin said as he tossed her a staff, then brought out one for himself.

"Unlike Starfire, I don't know of any way for me to be without them," she said as she brought her staff to the ready position. The two circled each other for a few moments, then Raven lost her patience and attacked. As the rules for this part of the workout dictated she wouldn't use any of her powers, the only weapon either of them would use was their staffs. "Robin?" she called a few moments later as she managed to disarm him, sending his staff flying across the room.

Robin's reply was to jump backwards, and bringing his hands together with a shout. A maneuver Raven was certain she had seen before but couldn't place where. It dawned on her a second later when Robin landed his right hand drawn back as if to throw something. They were basic Tamaranean battle moves! Starfire used them all the time.

"Robin?" she called again, more softly as she approached him, her mind reaching out to him through their bond.

Robin shook his head, not in any resistance to Raven's mental touch, but to clear it of the images flashing through it. "Nie'l!" he shouted in response to them. He headed toward the door, almost bowling Raven over in the process. He came up short when two people blocked his path, each one grabbing one of his arms.

"We are sorry, Robin, but I can not let you go," Chr's said.

"Let me go! You don't understand! Nie'l is being attacked!"

"We know, Robin, but we can not let you go to him," Shel'b said as she held onto his right arm.

"What do you mean, you know? You're warriors, he's your Grand Ruler. You took an oath to serve and protect him, as I did. Now let me go!"

"Robin, please, you do not understand. You can not interfere with what is happening," Shel'b said.

"Robin, there might be more to this than you can tell." Raven said softly when she saw the tears in Shel'b's eyes. She gasped when something occurred to her. "Robin, use your bond with him, tell me who is attacking him."

Chr's and Shel'b almost stumbled when Robin suddenly stopped trying to move past them. "No!" he gasped. "What is he doing?"

"Assuming the throne, as directed by the Ca'ri."

"Who, Robin?"

"It's Galfore, Raven. He's the one attacking Nie'l. He challenged him for the crown."

"And Starfire allowed that?"

"She's not in a position to prevent it, Raven, nor are you, Robin." Chr's said, handing Robin a small message viewer. "It is verigraphed for you alone."

Robin nodded, and took off his right glove. He pressed his thumb against a small depression near the bottom of the device and he felt the slight sting of the needle as it took a sample of his blood and compared it to the DNA pattern the messaged had been locked under. A moment later the Imperial Crest appeared on the screen, followed by Starfire's face.

"Robin, I would much prefer to tell you this in person, however, that is not a choice I have. I am being recalled to Tamaran, my love, and must sever all ties with Earth. This is no reflection of my feelings towards you. The Ca'ri has given me the choice of either this or Nie'l's rule will be open to challenge. As I am seyla, and you are not from Tamaran, he would have to face such a challenge alone." Starfire paused, and Robin could see the sadness in her eyes at the decision she had been force to make. "Beloved, I do not believe he would survive such a challenge, as I know he would not know when he was nearing his limits and continue to resist until he could fight no longer." Robin swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw the control Starfire was exercising slip, and her eyes brimmed with tears and her voice cracked. "Robin, please know that despite this you will always be my gentha'fa, the keeper of my heart. Kim'r will contact you to reclaim the crystal we share. I fear she will do the same with the one you share with Nie'l as well. May X'Hal guide and watch over you, my love."

The screen faded to black and Robin stood there staring at it in shock.

"How could she be so cold?" Shel'b asked, breaking the silence. "I did not need to see the message, Robin. I was there when she recorded it."

Robin nodded. "She's not being cold," he said. "It's because she's concentrating on keeping this from coming through to me."

"Robin?" Raven asked, when she saw him flinch slightly.

"It's Nie'l. He's losing the challenge," he said softly, feeling ill at the thought of the youngster trying to defend himself fro the larger more experienced Galfore. He shook his head, trying to focus on what he could do to help him. "Shel'b, tell me more about this Ca'ri."

"There is not much else to tell, Robin. They are older members of our society, and see to it that our laws are enforced and obeyed."

Suddenly Chr's's face brightened as he thought of something. "They also judge on grievances brought forward by those who they have been treated unjustly."

"How does that. . . . " Shel'b began, but trailed off as she suddenly realized what he was thinking.

Robin thought furiously over what Chr's had said. "Okay, so this states that the Ca'ri has dissolved Star's and my bond, right?" he asked holding up the message viewer. Chr's and Shel'b nodded. "So I'm no longer a member of the Royal Family. Am I still a warrior, and can I bring a complaint to the Ca'ri on Starfire's behalf?"

"Correct on both, Commander." Chr's said, smiling.

"I don't follow. How was Starfire treated unjustly?"

"Because, Raven, the Ca'ri forced her into severing her ties with Earth and me with the assurance that if she did that Nie'l would be secure in his position as Grand Ruler."

"And they went back on that when they ordered Galfore to challenge Nie'l for the crown," Raven said.

"May we escort you to a meeting with the Ca'ri?" Shel'b asked.

"Right after I change," Robin answered, then turned to Raven. "I'll need you to take me to the Tower so I can get my dress armor."

Shel'b held up her hand, stopping Raven as she drew a breath to chant. "That will not be necessary. Chr's and I stopped at the Tower on our way here. There is a set of your dress armor and your swords aboard our shuttle."

"So you knew that Robin would figure something like this out?"

"No, Raven. Shel'b knew enough that keeping him from Koriand'r was a fool's errand, and that what ever course of action he takes, it would be taken more seriously if he wore his dress armor.

"Let's go," Robin said and started to walk out of the training room. He paused, then glanced over at Raven when he suddenly realized that though he could still feel Nie'l's experiences in his mind, they were somehow muted and not as vivid.

"You need to be able to concentrate on making this right," the dark Titan said. "For his sake as well as yours and Starfire's."

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Robin strode down the corridor of the ROHA'N, his cloak billowing out behind him. A warrior, old enough to have gray streaks through his red hair, kept pace beside him. Shel'b and Chr's followed behind them, and Raven brought up the rear. Robin didn't care that Komane'r was breathing heavily from the pace they were walking at. All that was on his mind was getting to the Royal chamber before it was too late.

As they approached the door, the two guards crossed their pole axes, barring their way. "You have no business here, Robin of Earth. I give you the opportunity to respect our laws and leave honorably."

"Stand aside, Lieutenants," Robin said. "I have business with both Nie'l and Galfore in accordance with Pah'kesh rok'oh."

"He speaks the truth," Komane'r said, snapping the two out of their shock. They snapped to attention, resuming their place on either side of the door.

Mentally, Robin grimaced at the sound of a star bolt being launched. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Nie'l was holding out against Galfore's attacks, but it was evident that the youngster was tiring as his movements were slowing. As Robin watched, Nie'l was hit by a star bolt, which knocked him from the air and into a wall. Nie'l sprawled out on the floor for a moment, then tried to get up, but fell back to the floor with a groan.

"Galfore, enough!" Robin shouted, when he saw him ready to launch a bolt at the semi conscious Nie'l. "He is beaten, or are you blood thirsty and power hungry enough that you would take this to the death?"

"Stay out of this. You have no standing here."

"I'm here according to Pah'kesh rok'oh. The Ca'ri may have ended my bonding to Koriand'r, but not my Oath of Acceptance. I'm still a warrior."

"You can not claim Guardian privilege. You were not present on Tamaran when Koriand'r adopted Nie'l, your name does not appear on the documents."

"That has been changed," Robin said, holding up a small scroll. He was relieved to see that Vern'a and another healer were looking after Nie'l. He also saw Kim'r walking toward him.

"May I see that?" she asked.

"You doubt my word, Captain?" Robin asked as he handed over the paper. "Your amount of trust is amazing."

He saw the flash of anger in Kim'r's eyes at the jibe. "It is as he says."

"Then I am Grand Ruler, since I have defeated him," Galfore said, then looked over at Robin. "Unless you wish to take up the challenge, ruthasha."

"Robin, no!" Starfire shouted, stopping him from drawing his sword and accepting the challenge. It also distracted him from bracing himself for the star bolt the Galfore launched at him. It caught him in the chest and sent him tumbling back several feet.

"Robin!" Starfire cried in alarm, then cried out in pain as she clutched her mid section.

"Starfire!" Robin called back as he felt the wave of pain through their bond. He was shocked to see Raven not fly over to her side, but materialize there indicating the seriousness of what ever it was that was wrong with Starfire.

"Vern'a, Starfire needs to get to a healing room," Raven called out as she eased her friend to the floor. "She's bleeding internally!"

Vern'a quickly moved over to where they were and passed a device over Starfire's form from head to toe. "L'vov, na!" she gasped when she saw the readings. "You are correct, she must get to surgery immediately. I am not certain if we are close enough to the healing section. . . "

Raven nodded and began speaking even before Vern'a finished her sentence. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

Robin watched as the Raven transformed into the familiar raven shaped shadow form which enveloped first Starfire and Vern'a, then swooped over to Nie'l and the healer that was attending to him before phasing through a wall and vanishing.

"I know you have feelings for her, Commander, but we have decreed that she is to sever all ties with Earth," Komane'r said as Robin took a step toward the door. "You will surrender your crystal to Captain Kim'r."

"Then you will reinstate Nie'l as Grand Ruler," Robin said. "The Ca'ri went back on it's agreement with Koriand'r when you ordered Galfore to take the crown by challenging Nie'l."

"We had no agreement with her," Komane'r said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I have proof that you did," Robin said. "Kim'r, Galfore, may I see you for a moment?"

"What is it, Robin?" Kim'r asked as they stood beside him.

"Galfore, right before you challenged Nie'l, I received this," Robin said, then played Starfire's message.

"X'Hal, no," Galfore gasped softly when he realized what had been done.

"You only have her word to this ruthasha," Komane'r said.

"You are saying that she would lie about what the Ca'ri had told her?" Galfore demanded.

"She would only make such a decision to forsake him with such a promise of Nie'l's safety. I will not obey your order to take his crystal. It is not in keeping with what you agreed to with her in good faith, and I will defend him from any who would try to take it."

Robin suddenly found himself in the middle of a circle that was made up of Kim'r, Galfore, Shel'b and Chr's, each with their sword in one hand, and the other glowing brightly with their star bolt power.

"We acted as we saw fit. The Ca'ri does not explain itself to anyone."

"Maybe that should change, Komane'r," Galfore said softly. "Go, Robin. I do not know if we can make things right for the two of you, but your place is by her side."

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"Raven, any word?" Robin asked as he saw her pacing outside one of the treatment rooms.

"Robin," Raven said, almost tearfully, then quickly got herself under control. "No. They're operating right now, that's all I know."

"Raven," Robin pressed.

"That's all I know, Robin," the dark Titan snapped, then looked at the door to where Starfire was. _'Although I suspect much more, I won't hurt him with that until I'm sure,'_ she thought, then closed her eyes sadly as she realized that the chances that her suspicions were wrong were slim. She looked over when she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Robin standing beside her his apology clearly written on his face.

"Sorry, Raven. It's just. . . ."

"I know. I just wish that you'd realize that you're not the only one who worries about her."

"That I won't apologize for," he said. "You want me to contact Beast Boy and have him come over?" he asked softly.

Raven seemed to think a moment, and Robin realized that she was using her bond with the green Titan. He was surprised when she smiled softly. "He's already on his way," she said. _'But you're not going to like who's bringing him.'_ she thought.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

"Rae, are you alright?" Beast Boy asked as he ran up, pulling up short of hugging her. Robin blinked as he saw the two of them together, the green changeling obviously knowing that Raven was more upset than she appeared. He shook his head as he felt a pang of jealously as he also realized that she was letting more through her bond with Beast Boy than she was the one with him. He was glad that Cyborg wasn't with him, as the titanium Titan would have made some joking remark, half picking on the two of them and half trying to lighten the mood.

However, that would have been far better, in his eyes, compared to who walked around the corner next. "What are you doing here?"

"Easy, Dick. I heard that there is something wrong with Starfire, and came to see if I could help."

"Like you care. Why the interest, Bruce? An hour ago you would have been very happy to see her return to Tamaran with me staying on Earth."

Robin saw Bruce's eyes narrow slightly behind his cowl. "People can change their minds, Dick."

"People, yes. You no. Not on this." Robin wiped his hand over his face, hoping to wipe away the frustration that plagued him whenever he got into an argument with Bruce. "I only wish that Vern'a had been right and she would have been seyla for twelve hours."

"How would that have made a difference?"

Robin looked over at the Dark Knight, still curious as to his reason for caring. "If she had her powers, she'd have been in a position to take the challenge on Nie'l's behalf. Galfore wouldn't have made the challenge then."

"Didn't he do that after being ordered by the ruling council?"

"They would not have issued that order under those circumstances," Galfore said as he walked up with Komane'r. "We have need to talk with you, Batman."

Robin watched as his former mentor went off with the new Grand Ruler, and the head of the Ca'ri. _'They probably want to talk about either what the League is going to do about Star, or trying to get them to release Blackfire,'_ he thought. "Raven, can you tell anything. . . ? he asked nodding his head toward the door that Starfire was behind.

"Just that she's sedated, but I'm sure you know that," the dark Titan replied. "I don't want to probe Vern'a's mind while she's operating. It might distract her."

Robin nodded his agreement. One thing he knew was that you didn't distract a surgeon while they were working. Especially if the patient was someone you loved.

"Yo, Robin, she's gonna be alright."

Robin's first response to Beast Boy's comment was a sharp, 'How do you know?' but when he turned toward him and saw the concern on the green face, he couldn't snap at him for trying to console him. "Thanks, Garfield. You're right; she's going to be fine; she's in good hands."

The changeling watched as Robin went over by the door to Starfire's room and started pacing across in front of it. He was glad that the Boy Wonder didn't see the worried look he exchanged with Raven.

As Robin paced, he found himself facing Raven and Beast Boy as he went in one direction. Much as he was worried over Starfire, he found himself feeling happy that the two of them had become closer. Truth be told, he still had some difficulty believing that they had, but who was he to decide who either of them should see? For the first time, he felt a little of what the others must have as he watched them talking quietly to each other, much the way he and Starfire did, even before they told each other about their feelings. He had taken a few steps closer to them when he heard the sound of the door opening.

Vern'a was relieved to see that Raven and the other Titan were with Robin outside the surgery room. She knew that the dark Titan was close to both Robin and Koriand'r, and she knew that he was going to need a friend's support when she told him what had happened.

As she stepped through the door, they all turned toward her. Despite the fact that Robin's eyes were covered by his mask, his concern was easily seen.

"Vern'a, how is she?"

"She is resting, Highness. Although her life was in danger when she was brought here, the surgery required to correct the problem was not complicated." She paused for a moment and Robin could tell that she was reluctant to discuss something with him. "Highness, I know how you value your privacy, but as her healer, there are some things I must ask you."

"Vern'a, if it will help you treat Starfire, I'll answer as best I can."

Vern'a nodded, but was uncertain on how to ask as she knew little of Earth customs. "Has she discussed the starting of a family with you?"

"N. .no," he stammered, caught off guard by the question. "If she had, I would have asked her if it was possible."

Robin didn't miss the flash of surprise on the older woman's face. "She would have told you that yes, it is possible."

Robin staggered back a step. "How . . .?"

"When you were treated for your injuries aboard the VELANCE'R, a DNA compatibility scan was done, at Galfore's request. Even then, he felt that the two of you would take the Oath." She looked back towards Starfire's room, and shook her head. "She did not speak of this to you? She was told of the results."

"No, she didn't," Robin answered. "Vern'a, I'm not sure about Tamaranean customs, but on Earth it's unusual for people as young as we are to be getting married, let alone starting a family. Although I'm fairly certain that as Empress, her producing an heir to the throne would be important."

Vern'a nodded. "Highness, I know that you and Koriand'r have. . . . . .senavana. I also know that it is not a topic usually open for discussion, but I must ask when?"

Robin heard Raven's whispered gasp of "No", and he swallowed nervously. "It was the night she came back to Earth." He watched as Vern'a closed her eyes and sighed sadly. His mind was racing with so many things and he decided to grab onto one the things that would be less emotional for a moment. "Vern'a, the Ca'ri has dissolved her and my Oath of Bonding. Why do you keep calling me Highness?"

Vern'a sighed heavily. "Tamaranean law states that a bonding can not be broken if there is a child resulting from it, even if the child is not brought to full term."

Robin felt as if the room was spinning as he realized the implication of what she had said. "She's. . . . . . .pregnant?"

"No, Highness, not anymore," Vern'a replied softly. "I have removed myself as her healer. I did not recognize the symptoms she told me of before for what they were. I thought that they were from the radiation cure and the veka serum she has been given, not from the need for extra zorka berries."

Robin's eyes narrowed slightly. "You were giving her veka serum?"

"I did not administer it, but I was overseeing it. I am truly sorry, Highness."

"Who was giving it to her?" Robin demanded, then the answer came to him. "Never mind, I think I know," he said. "Why?"

Vern'a found that she could not meet his gaze. "Because I could not guarantee that the cure would work, or that she would not suffer a relapse."

"Robin, wait," Raven called, stopping him several steps down the corridor. "Maybe you'd better hear all of it first," she said, then turned to Vern'a. "What happened to Starfire?"

"Veka serum works by changing the way that the neurotransmitters work in the brain. It is not given to pregnant females because it also interferes with the development of the cells of the developing child. This caused a break down of the placenta, which caused the internal bleeding, and the miscarriage."

"Did Starfire know she was pregnant?"

"No, Titan Beast Boy, she did not. She only knew that she was feeling weaker than normal, and some other symptoms caused by the extra need for the nutrients provided by zorka berries. I also fear that she was some how injured during the battles with you that caused a weakness or tear in the. . . ." Vern'a said, then trailed off as Beast Boy ran off.

"Beast Boy!" Robin called, but was ignored. "Raven, did you see . . .?" he asked, referring to a mental imaged he had gotten of when Beast Boy was fighting Starfire, and the blows to her mid section he had landed. He saw her nod. "Find him, and tell him that it wasn't his fault. None of us knew."

"Highness, where are you going?" Vern'a asked as Robin headed down the corridor. It took her only a moment to answer her own question.

A short time later, Shel'b got Chr's's attention, and nodded toward the entrance to the launch bay. "Robin, I can tell that you are upset, but where are you going?" Chr's asked.

"Back to the Watchtower."

Shel'b fell back a step as she thought of the only reason that would make him leave Starfire's side with her ill. "Then Koriand'r is. . . . .gone?"

"No, she's recovering from surgery. I plan on being back here before she wakes up."

Shel'b sighed with relief as she followed Chr's and Robin into the shuttle.

"ROHA'N Control, this is shuttle one three five, three people aboard and request launch clearance and vector to the Watchtower," Chr's said after he powered up the ship.

"Shuttle one three five, clearance granted, vector two seven five, carom two seven for the Watchtower."

Robin closed his eyes, struggling to keep his anger in check as Vern'a's news repeated itself over and over in his head.

"Robin, may I ask what is wrong with the Empress?"

Robin opened his eyes and looked to his left and saw Shel'b's concerned face. "There's nothing wrong with her, Shel'b. She's going to be fine. It's just. . . ." he began, but couldn't say it.

"Robin, I wish to help, but I can not until you tell me what it is that has you so angry and hurt."

"X'Hal, no!" Chr's gasped from his pilot's seat, getting both Robin's and Shel'b's attention. "Highness, they just made the announcement to the fleet."

"Announcement?" Shel'b asked.

"Ne loneva, Koriand'r ve que kinacha."

"With child?" She'b said, then smiled broadly. "Congrat. . . . " she began but trailed off seeing the pained expression on Robin's face.

"No, my love you did not hear me fully," Chr's said. "She **was** with child," he corrected. "For reasons they are not releasing to the fleet, she lost the baby. I grieve with you, Highness."

Shel'b echoed Chr's's formal expression of grief, and the rest of the flight went in silence.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The door slid open and Robin stalked in. He figured he was doing a good job of keeping his face blank when Superman spoke.

"Robin, we were just going to call you."

The words fell on deaf ears as Robin's attention was focused on the cape and cowl clad person who stepped towards him. Robin saw Bruce open his mouth to say something, but didn't give him the chance. The right jab to his stomach and the spin kick to the side of his head staggered the Dark Knight and he caught the edge of the table to keep himself from falling.

"Stay. Out. Of . My. Life," Robin said, almost quietly, but with an intensity that made it almost a shout.

"Dick, I can explain if you'll. . . . "

"I don't want to hear it, Bruce. I just hope that you're happy."

Batman's eyes narrowed. Robin's tirades were one thing, but in front of the rest of the League, he reached the end of his patience fairly quickly. "Listen, Robin, I'm not concerned that Starfire's being recalled to Tamaran has inconvenienced you, but. . . ." Bruce cut off when he saw Robin start towards him, his face a mask of fury.

Robin suddenly found himself encased from chin to ankles in green energy that was formed into a hand.

"Do you really plan on using that sword?" Green Lantern's voice said softly.

It was then that Robin realized that in his anger he had half drawn his sword as he stepped towards Batman. "No," he replied, then took a deep breath. "I don't. Superman, I apologize to you and the League that you had to see that. What ever your decision is, it doesn't matter anymore. As Bruce said, Starfire's been recalled to Tamaran; she will not be remaining on Earth."

"You seem a little angrier than that would cause," the Flash commented.

"Starfire is currently in the healing section of the ROHA'N, recovering from surgery. A complication caused by veka serum being administered to someone in her condition."

"Veka serum?" Superman asked.

"It's a herbal medicine used to render Tamaraneans powerless," Bruce said. "Under Vern'a's supervision I've been giving it to her until I was satisfied that she wouldn't revert back to what she was like before."

"So it reacted badly with her being given the cure?" Wonder Woman asked.

"No, Diana. It didn't react well with the fact that she was pregnant," Robin said, drawing a gasp from everyone, including Batman. "It caused something to cause internal bleeding and she miscarried." He paused for a moment, then turned toward Superman. "Am I free to go? I've gotten permission to be there when she wakes up."

"Of course, Robin," Superman replied and he watched the young man head for the door. "Just so you know," he added stopping him just short of the door. "The vote was that she could stay, and remain a Titan."

"Thank you," Robin said, then left.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

Robin knew that both Chr's and Shel'b kept giving him quick glances during the flight back to the ROHA'N, but like Cyborg, they knew better than to talk to him. He sat in his seat, staring out the view port at the velvety blackness dotted with stars. The only ones that could actually tell the emotions boiling beneath the surface of his seeming calm demeanor, would have been Starfire, Nie'l, who were both unconscious, and Raven, who he was working hard to shield from the hurt, fear, bald faced anger, and betrayal that he felt.

"Highness, we are about to dock," Shel'b said softly.

Robin pulled himself away from his study of deep space. "Thank you, Commander. Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy should be waiting for us either in the landing bay, or outside Star's room."

"I know, man," the big Titan said softly, then put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm managing, Cy, but I'm far from alright." The two were quiet for a moment, then stood when the clank and hiss of the hatch opening was heard. Just short of the opening, Chr's and Shel'b stopped them.

"Highness. . . .Robin, I wish for you to know that you are not alone in your grief," Chr's said. "I will not say that any of us are feeling what you are, but we are here to help you bear it. We are your friends if you wish it."

Robin looked at the hand that Chr's held out, then took it shaking it warmly. "Thank you, Chr's. Koriand'r and I are going to need all the friends and help we can get to get through this."

They headed for the hatchway, Robin finding himself sandwiched between Chr's in front, and Shel'b behind him as they descended the ramp. He almost ran into Chr's's back when he hesitated for a moment. As he came out of the shuttle, he saw why.

"Emperor Galfore," he said when he saw the older man, once Starfire's guardian. "What do you want?"

"Only two things, my Lord," he said as he stepped over, placing the Grand Ruler's crown on him, then dropping to one knee. "Your forgiveness, and your mercy."

"Because of our laws, the Ca'ri could not void your Oath of Bonding with Koriand'r," Shel'b explained, seeing the confusion on Robin's face. "With that and both Nie'l and her unable to take the throne, it falls to you." As she finished saying that, she and Chr's dropped to their left knee.

"Shel'b, Chr's get up," Robin said. "All I want right now is to get to Starfire." He looked over at where Galfore still knelt. "Galfore, to be honest, it will take time for me to forgive you, but I know how you feel about Koriand'r. If you want, you can join the rest of us as we wait for her to regain consciousness."

"Robin, he just forcibly took the throne from Nie'l," Chr's said. "Are you certain you. . . . ." he began, but trailed off when Robin looked at him. "Forgive me, my Lord. I should not question your decision."

"It's alright, Chr's. He was her k'norfka and his feelings for her run just as deep as mine. I can't ignore that."

"What of me, my Lord?" Kim'r asked.

"What about you, Captain?" Robin asked back, his tone barely civil.

"I was only following orders when I went to retrieve the crystals you share with Nie'l and Koriand'r."

"You will keep your position on the Royal Guard, but it will be some time before I consider you more than just an officer in the Guard."

Kim'r nodded silently, knowing it was more her asking to see the documents of his guardianship over Nie'l than anything else that bothered Robin. She knew that when she did that, she showed that she did not trust him and, in return, he did not trust her like that. She sighed as she fell in at the back of the group now heading for the healing section. She hoped that she could regain his trust and the friendship that went with it.

"Raven, Beast Boy, any word?" Robin called as they came up to them.

"No. Vern'a just went to check on her again," Raven replied.

"Dude, does that mean that you took the crown from Galfore?" Beast Boy asked.

"I could not keep it, Titan Beast Boy, as the order to take it was improperly given," Galfore replied. "When he is recovered, Nie'l will rule again, but for now his Pah'kesh will stand in his place."

"Robin, you've got to calm down," Raven said as she came over to him. "I know you've got a lot on your mind, but your stress level isn't going to do Starfire any good."

"I know, Raven, but. . . ." he began but trailed off when he saw the look on her face. Nodding, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as he calmed his mind, putting some of the things on hold, knowing there was nothing he could do about them. "Raven, how am I going to tell her?"

"I don't know, Robin, but it does have to come from you."

"I know that. I just can't walk in there and simply 'Starfire you were pregnant, but you lost the baby because of the treatment and that Batman was giving you veka serum."

"That may be the best approach, my Lord," Galfore said. "If you do not tell her the truth, she will know it, and she will resent that you feel she needs to be coddled."

"Robin, when the time comes, you will find the words," Shel'b said.

Robin nodded, then turned to Beast Boy who was standing nearby, nervously shifting from foot to foot. "Beast Boy, this isn't your fault," he said. "Even she didn't know she was pregnant."

"But when we fought, I didn't hold back,"

"Just like I told you," Robin told him.

"Titan Beast Boy, the Empress was only three months along in her pregnancy," Shel'b said. "At that point, under normal conditions, such activities as take place in battle would not have endangered the child."

"If you say so," Beast Boy relented. "But I still feel terrible about this."

"In that you have much company," Chr's said.

"Galfore, despite his having the document, Vidok'an Rob'n is not Nie'l's Pah'kesh," Kim'r said.

Galfore smiled when he saw Robin stop pacing and his eyebrow raise when he heard how Kim'r pronounced his name. "You saw the document, Captain. Was it in order?"

"The documents are not in question, and neither am I challenging him as one of the Royal Family. He is not Nie'l's Pah'kesh, or guardian. He is his Shokata, or father. With his bonding to Koriand'r, they are his parents under our laws."

Robin looked between Kim'r and Galfore and he opened his mouth to say something, but looked towards Starfire's room. "Starfire?" he said softly. He kept his eyes on the door to Starfire's room. "Raven?" he called softly as he started walking toward it.

"I know, Robin. I'm right behind you."

Just before they reached the door it slid open and Vern'a stood there. "I should have realized that my coming out here to tell you Koriand'r was waking was unnecessary," she said, and stepped aside so they could enter.

Robin paused for a moment as he saw Starfire laying on the hospital bed, covered up to her chin in white sheets. "You'd think I'd gotten used to seeing her like that, thanks to the last few months."

"You ever do, and I'll really start worrying about you," Raven said.

Robin gave her a wry smile as he went to one side of Starfire's bed and Raven went to the other. They stood there a moment looking down at her. "You're right, she does look very peaceful," Raven said, then blushed as Robin gave her a annoyed look, and she realized that he hadn't spoken the thought aloud. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Raven. You've probably lowered your mental guard to try to pick up on when she's gonna wake up." Robin reached over and brushed his fingertips across her cheek as he brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. He almost jumped when she sighed softly and tried to press her cheek against his fingers.

"Fet me'cha zota, shamana," she said drowsily.

Robin smiled softly when he realized that Starfire was thinking about her mother. "Starfire, can you hear me?"

Starfire moaned softly, then her eyes fluttered open. "Robin? Raven?" she asked as her eyes focused on them, then she gasped softly. "You should not be here," she said, then tried to sit up when she saw that Robin was wearing the crown. "Robin, you can not. . . ." she began, but trailed off as she winced in pain.

"Athani, Kori," Robin soothed as he gently pushed her back down onto her pillow.

"Robin, you can not take the throne. The Ca'ri has ordered me to return to Tamaran, and sever all ties with you and Earth. You should not be here."

"The Ca'ri can't keep us apart, Star," Robin said.

Starfire blinked at that news. "They can not?" Robin nodded, then almost cringed when he saw that she had figured out what would prevent the Car'ri's edict from being enforced. She placed her right hand on the sheet over her abdomen. "Then I am. . . . ?" she began, her soft smile fading as she not only saw the sadness on Robin's face, but felt it through their bond as well.

"No, Star, you're not."

"Then if I am not with child, then. . . ."

"You were, Kori. There were compli. . . . "

"Robin, either I am or I am not. If I am not then the Ca'ri can. . . "

"Tamaranean law doesn't change if the child is not brought to term, Starfire," Raven said.

Starfire looked from Robin to Raven and back. "If you can not be more clear, then have Vern'a come in and explain."

'_Maybe Galfore was right.'_ Robin thought. "Starfire, you were three months pregnant, and the base if the serum you were given was veka serum," he explained. "And with what veka serum you've been given over the last few days, it caused complications."

Starfire's eyes narrowed slightly. "Someone was giving me veka serum?"

"Bruce was. He didn't trust that Vern'a's cure would work."

"So his lack of trust has cost me my child?"

Robin took her hand in both of his. "Our child, Kori. You're not alone in this."

Robin was surprised when Starfire pulled her hand from his, and an angry look crossed her face. "So do I have this to look forward to with you? You not trusting anyone, or even me?"

"Starfire, no." Raven said.

"Do you truly believe that, Star?" Robin asked. When she didn't reply, he took off his left glove and slid a ring from his finger. "If you really believe that, then maybe you should take this back."

Starfire looked at the plain band of Tamaranean steel that lay in her palm as Robin turned to leave. "Robin," she called stopping him by the foot of her bed. "Forgive my, my love, I spoke out of anger, and did not think first. I do not wish for you to return your bonding ring to me, as I do not think I will be able to face this alone."

Robin heard the crack in Starfire's voice, and he took her hand again, letting her replace the ring on his finger. "You won't have to, Kori. There's more than just the two of us to help you," he said, nodding towards where Raven stood. "You're also not the only one angry. I've already confronted Bruce about this once."

"I hope that you did not come to blows with him. Although I would understand if you did, he was your k'norfka at one time."

"We didn't fight, Star," he said, then related what happened at the Watchtower.

"You're taking this almost to well, Starfire," Raven said.

Robin felt the change in Starfire's feelings. "I am a warrior, Raven. This is something that I can not change, no matter how much I wish to."

"But bottling up your feelings isn't good, Starfire," Raven said. "It's also not like you."

Robin saw how tightly Starfire's fists were clenched as she struggled to hold back her tears, and he felt how she was losing that battle. "May. . . .may I have some time to myself, please?"

"Kori, I. . . " Robin began.

"Gentha'fa please."

Robin heard the pleading tone of Starfire's voice, and he also felt how, despite the fact that he was the only one that she would let see her cry, she wanted the time alone. "Okay, Star. I know you know how to contact us when you want us to come back."

"How's she holding up?" Cyborg asked as the door slid shut behind Raven and Robin.

"She'll be alright," Raven said. "She just needs some time."

"Robin? Dude are you alright? You look awful pale."

Before Robin could reply, a scream came from Starfire's room, startling everyone but Robin. He had heard a variety of screams from Starfire in the past, including her terrified scream as she fell into the crevasse on the world they had all crashed onto. But never had he heard one that was so filled with hurt and loss as the one that echoed in his ears now. "No, Cy," he said, his hand on the big Titan's shoulder, keeping him from going into her room. "She needs the time alone to get this out."

"Can't you hear. . .?" Cyborg began, then realized that not only could Robin hear the pain in Starfire's cry, but felt it as well.

"What business do you have here?" Robin heard Shel'b say.

"None that concerns you."

Robin watched as Batman stepped around Shel'b and walked over toward him. "Stand down, Shel'b," he called when he saw the angry look on her face and her hand went to the hilt of her sword. He also saw that Wonder Woman was with him.

"What's this nonsense I heard about you. . . ." Batman began as he came up in front of Robin, and he reached for the 'M' shaped crown.

Robin didn't have a chance to react as he was pushed backward. When he recovered his balance he saw that Kim'r was standing between him and Batman, her sword drawn and held ready.

"You will not touch the Emperor, off worlder. You will state what business you have with him, or you will leave," she said.

"I warned you about this," Wonder Woman whispered to Batman.

Robin noticed that Shel'b had come up and was on Kim'r's left and Chr's was on her right, both had their star bolts primed and ready.

"I want to talk to him."

"Then speak," Kim'r said, "Talking does not require your hands."

"I believe he wants to speak to me alone, Captain."

"I am not certain that is advisable, my Lord," Kim'r said. "He has caused enough harm already."

"And if I agree to speak with him?"

Kim'r shot Robin a glare over her shoulder, then sighed angrily as she sheathed her sword. "He will bring no weapons into the room, and I would prefer someone else be with you."

Robin glanced over at Wonder Woman, who returned his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Captain, this is Wonder Woman, also known on Earth as Diana, Princess of Amazons of Themyscira. I trust her to make sure both of us are on our best behavior," he said. "That is, if she would be willing to do that."

"Then that leaves the matter of his leaving his weapons here," Kim'r said.

With a low growl, Batman unbuckled his utility belt and handed it to Cyborg. "I know you have the sense enough not to try to do anything with it."

"Well, Bruce, what is it you want?" Robin asked after the door closed to the room next to Starfire's.

"To know if you've completely lost your mind? Did you give any thought at all to what your taking the Grand Rulership of Tamaran might mean?"

"I'm sane, Bruce. And yes, I gave it a lot of thought. I'm sure that Komane'r and Galfore explained to you about how the Ca'ri double crossed Starfire." Batman nodded. Robin wanted to dig into Bruce's dealings in that, but kept to the current topic. "With her pregnancy, even though she miscarried, our Bonding remained intact and Nie'l was returned to the throne, or he will be when he recovers."

"And?"

"With both Nie'l and Starfire both unable to take the throne, it falls to me to ensure it remains in the Royal Family. Bruce, if I didn't take the throne, Tamaran would dissolve into a civil war as various factions and families tried to claim it. With the ROHA'N and the SOMOR'O in orbit around Earth, and Nie'l and Starfire being here as well, I didn't want to risk that spilling over to include Earth."

"I told you there was more to things than you thought, Bruce."

"Diana, nothing is that simple."

"I'll agree with you on that, Bruce," Robin said. "I admit that there is more going on behind the scenes than I'm aware of, but I do know that my taking the throne until Nie'l or Starfire is able to is keeping Tamaran at peace. Now I have some questions for you."

"Such as?"

"Don't take that holier than thou tone with me, Bruce. It's me you're talking to, remember? Why, Bruce, why couldn't you trust if not me, then Vern'a, a Tamaranean healer, and Starfire's personal healer?"

"She was on the Watchtower, Dick. My friends' home. I couldn't take the risk with them," he replied. "I didn't know about her being pregnant. I'm sorry," he added softly.

"What bothers me the most, Bruce, is I don't know how you're going to answer this question," Robin said. "If you had known she was pregnant, and known the dangers of giving her veka serum in that condition, would it have made a difference?"

"Richard!"

"No, Diana. He's got the right to ask that, although I would hope that he would know my answer."

"Bruce, I used to think that you trusted me. I'm not so sure of that anymore. Would it have made a difference?"

The two locked eyes for a moment, then Bruce looked away. "Yes, Dick, it would have. If I had known, I would have found some other way to control her."

"How is she, Richard?"

Robin looked at the wall that separated them from Starfire's room. "As well as can be expected, Diana. As expected, she's hurting emotionally as well as physically. I trust that you will have the sense to not try to see her, Bruce. If she wishes to see you and feels up to it, she will let you know, but I wouldn't think that likely." He was silent for a moment, his hand going over where the Shinrah crystals were beneath his armor. "Now if you will excuse me, I have other things to take care of."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 27

"Robin?" Cyborg called when he saw him come out of the room, followed by Batman and Wonder Woman.

"My Lord, what of them?" Kim'r asked.

"They are my guests, Captain," Robin said. "Unless specifically request by Koriand'r, he is not to be allowed into her room, otherwise they are to be given every courtesy."

"I ask to take the first watch at guarding her room, my Lord."

Robin turned at the sound of the new voice, and for the first time in almost two months, he smiled. "Mik'l! It's great to see you!"

"I only wish it was under better circumstances, Rob'n." Mik'l said shaking Robin's hand, then chuckled at Robin's confused look at the way he pronounced his name. "While you were Koriand'r's shalocfa, we did not find it necessary to make your name more like ours," he explained. "However, as our Emperor, even if for a short time, that has changed."

"Then why didn't it happen before?"

"It did, my Lord. You simply did not notice."

Robin shrugged slightly. "The first watch is yours, Captain, and congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you. I noticed that you were not stopping at the Empress's room. May I ask where you are headed?"

"Two doors further down. To see our son."

Mik'l nodded. "So it is true. You share a crystal with him."

"He has the half that was Starfire's before she left it on her dresser at the Tower. How common are these anyway?"

Mik'l looked at the two crystals that Robin held. One glowing green the other red. "The crystals themselves are common enough," he replied. "It's the fact that you are able to handle being linked to two minds at the same time that is rare." He reached out and touched the ruby colored crystal. "He nears consciousness then?"

"And I want to be there when he wakes up," Robin said, and half turned away then turned back. "Captain, I would like to have you in my personal guard. Would you be interested in heading it up?"

"I would be honored, my Lord. But what of Kim'r and the Palace Guard?"

"There are some. . . . .personal issues between the captain and myself."

"Her lack of trust when you produced the document confirming you as Nie'l's Pah'kesh," Mik'l said softly. "Very well, Rob'n. Do you have any who you wish to be in your guard, or am I free to choose them?"

"Shel'b and Chr's are the only ones I want. If you feel that I should have more then three, I leave that to you."

Mik'l touched his right fist to his left shoulder. "As you command, my Lord. I shall attend to it as soon as I have completed my watch over Koriand'r."

Robin returned the salute and entered Nie'l's room. He was surprised at finding someone already in the room.

"Greetings, my Lord," Vern'a said, dropping to her left knee. "I will leave you in peace."

"Vern'a stop," Robin said as she went to slip past him. "You will return to being the Royal Healer."

"My Lord, I endangered her life, and caused her to lose your child. I am not fit to serve you."

"Vern'a, you didn't know. If you had, I'm certain that you would have refused to help Batman."

"I should have anyway. My loyalty is to the Royal Family, not to some ruthasha who claims to have your approval."

"He what?"

"He told me that before you lost consciousness that you had given him permission to use what ever was needed to keep the Empress from being a danger to others, my Lord," Vern'a replied. "I can see from your expression that he lied."

"Yes, he did," Robin said then looked down at the youngster in the bed, his hand absently ruffling his hair.

"Robin," Vern'a called. "She will recover, and you are both young. There is no reason why she should not be able to bear children."

Robin was surprised at how much of a relief that news was to him. Not just for himself, but for Starfire as well. "Thank you." He watched her continue toward the door. "Vern'a, if this is what it takes to get you to be her healer, it is not my request, but my command."

Vern'a smiled softly as she bowed from the waist. "As you command, my Lord. I shall go check on her now."

Just a few moments after the door had slid closed behind Vern'a, Nie'l moaned softly, his arms and hands twitching slightly, and Robin could feel that he was reliving the challenge in his mind. "Athani, ne shoka. Shu vata serena." He smiled softly when he noticed that his telling Nie'l to be calm and that he was safe must have worked, as the youngster's face looked more peaceful and he stopped twitching.

"Mmmm. . . .father?" he moaned when he opened his eyes and saw Robin. "I am sorry that I failed you. I did not win the challenge."

"It's alright, Nie'l. To lose against a larger, more experienced opponent is no dishonor. In fact, I believe you surprised Galfore and quite a few others with how long you held out."

Nie'l gave a small gasp. "You wear the crown? If that is possible, then where is mother, and why does she not rule?"

"Starfire is ill, Nie'l. She will recover, but isn't able to rule at the moment, so as her husband, and your father, I have taken the throne until you are able to reclaim it."

"But the Ca'ri. They ordered mother to. . ."

"I know, Nie'l. What they tried to do didn't work. They can no longer keep her and I apart."

Nie'l was quiet for a moment, and Robin could tell that he was thinking. "Then that means that I will have a brother or sister," he said. "But that does not account for the sadness I feel from you."

"There were problems, Nie'l caused by the cure she was given and that fact that she was given veka serum afterward."

"Father, I am so sorry," he said as he reached up and placed his hand on Robin's. "I do not fully understand what veka serum does, but Jane'l, my older sister, went through the same a few years ago. How is Mother bearing it?"

"She's sleeping right now," Robin said after a moment.

"Father, you must be there for her when she awakes. I know you were there when she woke before, but she will want you there when she awakes this time, and her shalay'fa, ummm, Raven, too."

"Okay, but I can sit with you for now, right?"

Nie'l smiled softly and Robin caught a mischievous gleam in his eye. "For the present you are my Emperor, but do not get used to that father. I am the rightful ruler of Tamaran, and I will reclaim my crown." He was silent for a moment, then looked sideways at Robin. "Although I may find it relaxing to be in this bed for a few days."

Robin chuckled lightly and pulled a chair over to sit beside the youngster. "She hated that she had to just stand there and watch when you faced Galfore. It shouldn't have been your fight."

"Neither of you failed me, father. In a few years, I will be a warrior. If I do not learn to stand up for myself, I will dishonor that title. I know how you and she feel about me, but this is the way of things."

"If that is really true, Nie'l, then I don't believe that you will lay in that bed any longer than needed. You will want to get up and do what must be done."

"We shall see which side of myself wins, father," Nie'l said, then yawned. "Excuse me. My apologies, Father, but I find that I am very tired."

"It's alright, Nie'l. I'll stop in later."

As Robin walked back toward where the rest of the Titans were waiting outside Starfire's room, he knew how Nie'l felt. The eight hours he had been unconscious after Blackfire attacked him was the closest to any real sleep he had gotten since Starfire left the Tower.

"Robin, you should get some rest."

"I know Raven, but I'm sure you know that the only place I might get some sleep is while sitting in a chair at her side."

"I'm afraid that will have to wait, my Lord," Galfore said. "Kor'mel has requested an audience with you. He is waiting in the port observation lounge." The big warrior looked undecided for a moment then went on. "I would speak to you myself concerning Captain Kim'r."

"What about her? She is still the head of the Palace Guard."

"And has found herself left out of your personal guard. You would do well to keep her good favor."

Robin stopped walking and turned to face Galfore fully. "If that is a threat, even a veiled one, you over step yourself, Galfore. Even if I was not holding the Grand Rulership, I would not include her in any guard I would form. At least, not right now."

"Robin, she did not intend any slight when she asked to see the documents. At least not toward you. Komane'r and the representatives of the Ca'ri here have been pushing their authority, attempting to wrest the powers of the Grand Ruler for themselves. With what was happening, when you came forth with those documents, she was suspicious of them, not you."

"I'll think about it, and have a talk with her. As far as having her in my personal guard, I've already got one Captain heading it up, bringing in another would cause problems."

"As you command, my Lord."

Robin resumed walking, and noticed that Galfore kept pace with him, as did Chr's. "Am I right in thinking that it was the Ca'ri that ordered you to challenge Nie'l?"

"Do you truly believe that I would fight one so young on my own? Komane'r informed me that Koriand'r had gone back on her agreement with them and that she was not surrendering her crystal to them. I found out, while you were in with her, that they never asked for her to do so. They have been most underhanded in their dealings of late."

"Thank you, Galfore, I will be careful. While we are alone, I will give you the same courtesy you gave me, and you can call me by my name."

Galfore nodded his thanks as the doors to the observation lounge opened.

"Lord Galfore, I demand to know why you have not joined me in requesting that Komand'r be released by the Earth defenders known as the Justice League?"

"Jemidar Kor'mel, it isn't customary to begin negotiations with a shouted demand," Robin said softly. "I welcome you aboard the ROHA'N."

Kor'mel opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as he saw that Robin wore the crown. "You?" he finally managed to say. "I was led to believe that Galfore was Grand Ruler."

"At the time you were told, that was correct," Galfore said.

"Jemidar, I understand that you are upset, and I will dispense with the usual formalities of our meeting," Robin said. "Among other things, I would feel uncomfortable having you bow to me. Galfore, Chr's, leave us. We have things to discuss, and I'm certain that we can both trust each other."

Both Galfore and Chr's bowed slightly, then left the room. Robin crossed over to the large view port and looked out. "Your flagship still the TAMAR?" he asked looking the large starship over.

"You have a good eye, Robin. The VENAR is holding position off her port quarter. How is it that you wear the crown? Don't get me wrong. Personally, I think it is great, but with what Koma has told me of the Ca'ri, I did not think they would allow it."

"They aren't happy with it, but they have no choice," Robin said then and gave the older man a quick rundown of events. "Nie'l is resting comfortably, as is Koriand'r."

"And how are you holding up?" he held a hand up stopping Robin's response. "I know you wish to appear to be strong for Koriand'r and your son, but we are both warriors here."

Robin pulled the cloak he wore closer around him and looked out at the TAMAR, absently studying the ship as he collected his thoughts. "Seeing as they will both recover, I'm much better," he admitted. "Even my anger at Batman has gone down some, since I've talked with him. Kori is strong, she'll pull through this. I'm not saying there won't be rough spots, but she'll have help dealing with those."

Kor'mel nodded. "By the way, I commend you on your knowledge of diplomatic customs."

Robin felt his cheeks burn slightly as he blushed a little. "The credit for that goes to Koriand'r. While she's simply sleeping, it's easy to find stuff like that when needed."

"Just do not pry where she would not want you to look."

Robin returned Kor'mel's soft smile. "Do I detect the little voice of experience speaking?"

"The only answer I am going to give that questions is, yes."

Robin nodded his understanding. "So the League is still holding Blackfire?"

Kor'mel's face hardened slightly as he nodded. "They are not holding her in a detention cell, but she is not allowed to contact anyone, or leave the room she is in."

Robin took a device from his belt and slid it into his right ear. "Superman, do you copy?"

"Yes, Robin," the man of steel's voice said into Robin's ear.

"I'm standing here with the Dynast of the Salvainian Empire. I would like to know why you are holding, not only his wife, but a citizen of Tamaran?"

"Robin, she nearly killed you," Batman's voice said.

"She attacked me because she thought I had given Starfire enough veka serum to make her powerless permanently, Batman. She was understandably upset and was taking revenge for that. If it wasn't for her, Starfire would still be under Slade's control, and Earth would be at war with Tamaran." Robin raised an eyebrow as he heard a series of clicks over the comm link.

"Robin, you have my word that she will be released immediately," Superman said after a moment. "Please extend my apologies to the Dynast."

"I'm certain that Jemidar Kor'mel will understand your caution in holding her, and appreciate the treatment she was given."

"They are releasing her?"

"And Superman offers his apologies, as do I. If I had realized that they were still holding her, I'd have gotten her released sooner."

"You had other things on your mind, Robin. Thank you for clearing that up."

"My pleasure, and please give her my thanks for what she did."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28

"My Lord, may I speak with you privately for a moment?" Chr's asked as they approached the small group outside Starfire's door.

"What is it, Commander?"

"I have a small, personal favor to ask of you."

"I'll do it if I can, Chr's."

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of Shel'b's Acceptance," Chr's said. "I am asking you, on her behalf, to officiate over her Reaffirmation Ceremony. She will not ask you herself, as she will prefer to perform the rite in private. I will understand if you refuse, my Lord. Tomorrow will be a difficult day for the Empress."

"Why does she think her Acceptance day is not to be celebrated?"

"Because it was the day that the Gordanians made their demand for Koriand'r to be turned over to them," Chr's replied, looking over at where Shel'b stood talking to Mik'l. "She feels that the dishonor of that day has blackened her Acceptance."

Robin nodded, realizing that tomorrow just might be a hard day for Starfire. "I would be honored, and I'll look further into how the ceremony is performed."

"That is good," Chr's said with a slight smile. "The ceremony I ask from you is for those who are Shel'b's friends and family. Earlier, you will be conducting the ceremony for those here who are alone on what ships of the fleet are here at Earth."

"How many are we talking about, here?"

Chr's chuckled at how nervous Robin was getting. "Only about twelve or so, my Lord. Shel'b has told me what Koriand'r told her about the ceremony you held for her. You should have no problem. I have kept you long enough from Koriand'r's side. Again, I thank you for doing this for me."

Robin nodded and entered Starfire's room after knocking first.

"She is still resting comfortably, my Lord," Vern'a said when she saw him. "I believe it will be best if she wakes on her own. That way, her own healing will go faster without the use of the healing lamps." Robin nodded and quietly brought a chair over by the head of the bed. "Rob'n, she may not wake for several hours."

"Is there a problem with my sitting her until then?"

"You need to rest, yourself." Vern'a replied. "I have spoken with your friends, and I know that you have been getting fitful sleep, if any, since she fell ill. Personally, I am amazed at how well you are functioning. No disrespect, Rob'n, but you are only human, and I have not seen many Tamaraneans who have been able to do without sleep like you are. At least not without medical help."

"I appreciate the concern, Vern'a, but I assure you that I have been not taking anything."

"No, he hasn't," Raven said as she came in. "It simply his stubbornness and strength of will that's keeping him going."

"I promised Nie'l that I'd be here when she wakes up. Now that I know she's going to be alright, I can relax some."

Raven nodded, even though she could feel that knot of tension beneath his calm appearance. "I'm sure you will,"

"Agreed," Vern'a said. "I only wish there was some way that I could ensure that he will get some sleep?"

"I'll sleep, I promise," Robin said. "Ask Raven or the others. I've slept in a chair before."

"More times in front of your computer, than in your bed," Raven said quietly.

Vern'a sighed heavily. "Very well, my Lord. I would hope for a more comfortable or conventional rest, but it is better than none at all."

Robin breathed a sigh of relief when the healer left the room. "At least she's sleeping calmly."

Raven nodded her agreement as she watched him sit. "I know a few spells that might help."

"No thank you, Raven."

"Well, you might be more comfortable sleeping in a chair, but the rest of us are heading back to the Tower to sleep."

"G'night, Rae," Robin said as she headed for the door. A few moments later, Starfire had a nightmare and she started murmuring in her sleep, as her hands and arms twitched slightly.

Robin leaned over closer to her, brushing her cheek with his fingertips. "Easy, Starfire. You're safe, and I'm here with you," he soothed. The sound of his voice seemed to help, but he could still feel that she was upset. Remembering something she had told him when she was teaching him about Tamaran, he started humming a tune she had taught him. As he hummed, he concentrated on keeping his mind as calm as possible, and he was relieved to see Starfire's face smooth into a peaceful expression as she sank deeper into sleep.

"Robin, I do not mean to intrude, but I heard your humming through the door," Shel'b whispered when she entered the room. "Where did you learn that tune?"

Robin blushed softly. "She taught it to me," he replied. "She didn't remember the title or the words, but the tune was her favorite."

"I know," Shel'b said, smiling softly as she watched Robin's fingers absently brushing over Starfire's hair.

"You know?"

"After she was taken by the Gordanians, I was selected by Luand'r to be part of her personal guard."

"Luand'r? Star's mother?"

Shel'b nodded. "I was her shuttle pilot, and Chr's was in Myand'r's personal guard." The redhead paused for a moment and Robin saw the sadness in her blue eyes that the memories she were going through her mind caused. "Once again I find myself in the personal service of the Grand Ruler," she said softly. "I just hope that I can better protect you than I did her, them."

"Shel'b. . ." Robin said, but she went on as if she didn't hear him.

"We were on an inspection cruise to our colony on Serac when there were several explosions aboard the SOMOR'O, and the engine core was nearing failure. Chr's and I went to the Royal Suite to find the other's in their guards slain. We went inside to find that Myand'r had fought and killed the assassins, but Luand'r was pinned beneath a set of shelves that broke loose from the bulkhead. The three of us could not shift it, and the impact of it falling on her had broken her neck. We tried to convince the Emperor that there was no hope for her, but he would not leave her. He ordered the Captain to get Chr's and I to safety. It took four warriors to restrain Chr's, and I do not know who it was that used the kevek lian on me. From what I was told, we barely got clear of the ship before the core blew. To this day, Chr's has not forgiven or spoken to his father."

"He was the Captain of the SOMOR'O?"

Shel'b nodded, then looked over at Robin. "I may have failed in my duty to protect them, but X'Hal herself will not prevent me from safeguarding the two of you. I swear it on my honor as a warrior."

Robin blinked at the passion behind Shel'b's promise, and watched as she headed for the door. "Commander, I have every confidence in you," he said softly, stopping her at the door.

"Thank you, my Lord. Please forgive my outburst."

"Nothing to forgive," Robin said to the now closed door. He sighed wearily as he settled back into his chair, closing his eyes as he tried to relax and sleep. He was awake enough a few minutes later when the door opened to realize that it was Shel'b. He was slightly curious as to what she held in her hands, as she sat on a chair by the door. He smiled softly when he heard the notes of the lullaby being played on a trumpet. Feeling that Starfire was calmed by the tune, he let himself drift off to sleep.

Shel'b had just set her trumpet down after playing through the song for the third time, when the door opened.

Vern'a stood there for a moment, listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing from over by the bed. "Good, they are both sleeping," she said softly. "Good work, Commander," she added then left.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Thanks to their bond, Robin woke at the same time as Starfire. "Hey, Kori," he said softly when he found himself looking into her big green eyes.

"Greetings, my love," she said back, then Robin saw her eyes narrow slightly. "A chair is not a suitable place for you to sleep, my husband."

"Well, with your injury, the bed isn't big enough for the two of us," he joked lightly. He was surprised at the sadness that washed over Starfire's face.

"I would not be surprised that you would not wish to be in the same room as me, let alone share. . . ."

"Kori, what are you talking about? Why wouldn't I want to be in the same room as you?"

Starfire turned her face away from Robin. "Because I have betrayed your trust. I will understand if you can not forgive me."

"Star. . . .Kori, look at me," Robin said his crooked index finger hooking under her chin, pulling it so she was looking at him again. "In what way did you betray my trust, and why do you think I won't forgive you?"

"I knew that I could. . . .that we could," she began cryptically then went on. "I did not tell you, and did not take sufficient steps to prevent. . . "

"Kori, it's alright. I should have taken precautions too, but neither of us were thinking. Starfire, I was so glad to see you again, that you weren't killed when the VILTHUR'L blew up. . .," he said, but trailed off when he saw the confused look she was giving him. "What?"

"You are not reacting like I was led to believe you would in this situation."

"Led to believe? By who?"

"When I was recovering after I was attacked by Benny the Dart, you all were called out to deal with Doctor Light, who was robbing a bank. While you were gone, I watched a show on the television to try to ease the boredom. On the show, Brad was most upset with Alison for not being careful enough and becoming pregnant."

Robin relaxed a little as he caught glimpses of the show through their bond. "Starfire, I don't think that show was the best one to learn about human behavior from."

"I thought that the show was lacking something," Starfire said. "Does not an opera have singing in it? And they did not say anything about soap."

Robin almost smiled, but checked himself as he didn't want to offend her. "Star, a soap opera is a fictional series that dramatizes things."

"So it is not real? The young men of your planet do not act like that?"

The second question sort of caught Robin off guard. He almost responded with a quick 'No they don't.' but decided that it wasn't going to be that simple. "Some do, Star. It's not right, but they blame their girlfriend if they get pregnant."

"But there are. . . . A girl can. . . ." she began, but wasn't comfortable discussing this with Robin.

Robin took her hand and held it tightly. "Star, it's not just the woman's responsibility to be careful, it's the guy's job as well."

"So you are not upset?"

"Only in that you lost the baby," he said softly. Robin felt a lump in his throat as he watched Starfire's eyes brighten with tears.

"I truly did not mean to."

Robin hugged her as best he could without hurting her. "I know, Kori. I know." He held her as she cried and after a few moments she pulled back from the embrace. He noticed that her hands trembled as she reached up and removed his mask.

"Forgive me, my husband, but I needed to see that you truly are feeling what our bond tells me you are," she said as she framed he face with her hands and used her thumbs to wipe away his tears.

"It's alright, Kori," he assured her. "It wasn't your fault that you miscarried. That you lost the baby is just the way it is worded."

Starfire nodded, then tilted her head to one side quizzically. "You do not play the carnufa, do you? I am most certain that I heard it while I slept. It sounded to real to be a dream."

"No, Star, it's Shel'b that plays the trumpet."

They both turned when they heard some one clear their throat softly over by the door.

"My apologies, my Lord and Lady. I did not mean to drop the eaves, but I could not leave without disturbing you."

"It's alright, Shel'b. You are one of my personal guard."

"May I see your carnufa, Shel'b?"

"Certainly, my Lady"

Robin watched as Shel'b walked over then handed the instrument to Starfire. "Star, what is it?" he asked when he heard her gasp softly.

"Shel'b, where did you get this?"

Robin saw where Starfire traced a finger over some of the etching on the bell of the horn. "That looks like part of the Imperial Crest, and what is that?."

Shel'b swallowed nervously. "That is called a mute in your language, Robin. It keeps the sound soft. I used it because i did not wish to wake Koriand'r. That looks like part of the Imperial Crest, because it is. That is the family crest of. . ." she began.

". . . .Luand'r, my mother," Starfire finished. "How did this come to be in your possession?"

"Lady Luand'r gave it to me, to replace mine that had been destroyed. It was part of what she insisted was an honor debt to me."

Shel'b felt a pang of guilt as her Empress traced her fingers over the instrument, lost in the memories it stirred up. "She had wanted to give it to me, but I had no interest in music at the time. All that mattered to me was learning how to use a sword, and improve at my combat training. The last time she asked me to take it, and I refused, I could see the disappointment on her face. She did not insist, but quietly placed it in storage and never mentioned it again. I can only guess at how disappointed at me she would be now."

"Koriand'r, she would not be disappointed in you at all. Indeed, she would be most proud of what you have done and who you have become."

"You may speak freely, Shel'b," Starfire said. "You are among friends here."

The redhead nodded and she paced slowly as she tried to put her thoughts and memories into words. "Lady Luand'r never spoke of any disappointment in you. Indeed, her pride in, you, your actions, and accomplishments knew no bounds. Your calm resolve as you entered Trogaar's shuttle went beyond what anyone, but her, expected." Shel'b stopped pacing for a moment, and gave Robin a look that told him she was deciding whether or not to say something in front of him. "I was one of the few that she confided in when she and your father learned of your escape from Trogaar's ship. While Emperor Myand'r was pleasantly surprised, Lady Luand'r knew all along that you would somehow escape."

"Shel'b I thank you for telling me this. Why did you not tell me before that you served in my mother's personal guard?"

Whatever Shel'b's reply was going to be was cut off by the door opening, and Mik'l coming into the room.

"I apologize for the intrusion, my Lord, but it is time," he said.

Robin looked at him in confusion for a moment, the realized what he meant. "Thank you, Captain," he said then turned to Starfire. "There's some official business I have to take care of. I'll be back as soon as I can." He bent down and gave Starfire a quick kiss then left.

"That will need some time to get used to," Starfire said softly.

"What is that, my Lady?"

"Robin filling in as Emperor. I only hope that he will not be kept as busy as my father was, or I will not see much of him." Starfire looked at the door that Robin had just gone through, then sighed. "So, Shel'b, what more can you tell me about my parents?"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 29

Robin silently fumed as he headed back to Starfire's room in the healing section of the ROHA'N. He was angry at himself for two reasons. One was because it was not just past mid-meal, or lunch, and he had been away from her for far too long in his opinion. He was certain of that because of the second reason he was angry at himself. During the Reaffirmation ceremony he was presiding over, he stumbled over his acceptance of the Oath because he felt through their bond that something had upset Starfire.

As he approached the door to Starfire's room, it opened, and he almost walked into Vern'a who was coming out. "Good, you are here," she said after giving him a quick bow from the waist. "Perhaps you can aid the earthling Doctor in talking some sense to her."

Robin watched as the healer walked away, muttering under her breath. He looked over at Mik'l, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Starfire, she **is** your primary physician," he heard Linda Benson's voice saying as he walked into the room. "She's responsible for ensuring your health. In all honesty, I agree with her, it's too soon after your having surgery."

"Too soon for what?"

"Robin!" Linda exclaimed happily when she turned at the sound of his voice. Once she had gotten a look at him, she bowed from the waist. "Or should I say, Emperor Rob'n?"

Robin blushed slightly, then gave Starfire a questioning look when he saw that she was holding a green kitten and absently scratching it behind the ears. "Doctor Benson, may we have a moment?"

"Of course. I'll be right outside."

"So you're the one who calmed her down, Beast Boy?" he asked as he fluffed the fur on the kitten's back. He watched as the kitten wriggled out of Starfire's arms, then jumped to the floor.

"I don't know what Vern'a told her, but it really upset her," the green Titan explained. "Raven knew what it was, but couldn't get her to calm down, so I morphed into a kitten and jumped up beside her."

"He was most helpful, as his purring was most soothing."

"Star, what did she tell you? What upset you so much?"

The redhead sighed then looked over at Beast Boy. "Friend, you have been most helpful, but I must ask you to leave Robin and I for a moment? Raven is outside, and most anxious to learn how I am."

"Alright, I'll go tell her," the green Titan said. "Nobody tells me anything," he said under his breath as he headed for the door.

Starfire looked over at Robin after the door had closed, and she saw the concern on his face. "Vern'a wished to wait until you returned, but was uncertain as to how long you would be," she paused and reached over and took Robin's hand. "We were to have a daughter, my husband," she practically whispered, her eyes looking to where her other hand was laying in her lap. "It was the derivative of the veka serum in the radiation cure, in combination with the other chemicals that caused. . . ."

Robin reached over and wiped away the tear that was making its way down her cheek. "There's no reason that she couldn't have waited to tell you. It wasn't that vital that it couldn't wait."

Robin was puzzled at the fact that Starfire was blushing slightly as she looked back up at him. "At first all she told me was that she had completed her examination of the remains, and she was most determined to wait until you arrived," she explained. "I, however, reminded her that I am her Empress, and that I insisted. I left her no choice. It was only after she told me that I realized her wisdom in waiting. I will not make that mistake again."

Robin nodded, then leaned in and gave her a hug. "What is it she wants me to talk some sense into you about?" He was surprised when he saw the almost angry look on her face.

"In about an hour you are going to be conducting the Reaffirmation Ceremony for Shel'b. I simply wish to stand by her as a friend."

To Starfire's surprise, Robin didn't immediately object, but looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you actually think that you're up to it? Have you even gotten up out this bed?"

Robin almost smiled as Starfire crossed her arms over her chest and looked toward the door. "No, I have not gotten out of this bed," she said. "Neither Vern'a, or Doctor Linda Benson believe that I am healed enough to do that. They do not believe that I am strong enough or able bear the discomfort that might occur. Robin, unlike before, when I was under Doctor Benson's care, I have had the full benefit of Tamaranean medical knowledge," she argued. She watched as Robin lifted his hand and put it on top of her head. "What is it you are doing?"

"Just relax, Kori," Robin said softly as he closed his eyes. After a moment he opened them and looked at her. "Let's just see how you feel when you stand."

"Robin? Are you. . . .?"

_'Just relax, and stand, Kori,' _Robin's voice said in her head. '_If you can do it without too much pain, I'll talk Vern'a into letting you go. But don't think that I won't know if you feel **any** pain.'_

Starfire nodded, then swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment. "You did not say that I could not ask for assistance in standing," she said, and Robin moved closer so she could put her hand on his shoulder to help her rise. It was then that she realized just how fully Robin had tied his senses into their bond as she saw goose bumps pop up on his arm as she felt the coldness of the floor on her bare feet.

_'Yes, my love, this is why I will know if you feel any pain. I know that you learned to deal with pain while you were aboard Trogaar's ship. Much as I know how much you want to go, and how much it would mean to her if you were at Shel'b's Reaffirmation, I won't allow you to put yourself in danger to do it.'_

Starfire nodded, then took a step away from Robin to stand on her own. After a moment to make sure she wasn't going to fall flat on her face, she took a couple of steps then turned and went back to where Robin stood. They both turned when the door opened.

"Quomo ca shu tarkan shu vata canera?!" Vern'a demanded from the doorway. "Rob'n, I had hoped that you would have shown more sense and convinced her that she should remain in bed for at least two more days. Koriana, I can not believe that you are being this stubborn and foolish."

"Vern'a, that is enough!" Kim'r shouted from the doorway. "Need I remind you that you are speaking to the Emperor, and Empress? Granted that in the past you have been given certain leeway in how you spoke the the Royal family, but you have far exceeded that."

"Vern'a, I assure you that I will not over tire myself, and the instant I feel any pain or discomfort I will return her at once. Raven will be with me, so I can even have her teleport me here."

"Why, Koriand'r? Why is it so important for you to attend that warrior's Reaffirmation?"

"It's a matter of honor, Vern'a," Robin replied. "For both Shel'b and Starfire."

"Why would the honor of a single warrior be of concern to the Empress?"

"The honor of all Tamaraneans is my concern, Vern'a," Starfire replied.

"I didn't say the Empress's honor, I said Starfire's," Robin said.

Both Robin and Starfire saw the realization on Kim'r's face. "Vern'a, Shel'b's Acceptance Day was the day that the Gordanians came to Tamaran and demanded Koriand'r be given to them or they would destroy Tamaran. There are many who feel that we turned our backs on her by giving in without a fight and surrendering her to them."

"That is correct, Kim'r," Starfire said. "Shel'b feels that her Acceptance was tainted by that. That is why Chr's is trying to surprise her by having Robin conduct her Reaffirmation Ceremony."

"It's also why it's so important for Starfire to be there. Not as her Empress, but as her friend."

Vern'a sighed heavily. "Very well," she said. "I know of some other warriors who also feel this black mark on their Acceptance Day. They seek to lessen it by conducting the personal rite, alone and away from friends. My fear is that Koriand'r will over tire herself."

"I will see to it that she doesn't," Robin said. "I can tell you that she's not in any pain, and she's been standing since right before you came in, Vern'a."

"How can you be so certain of that, my Lord?"

Robin and Starfire glanced at each other, and Robin smiled as Starfire gasped softly as her right hand raised up and tucked her hair behind her ear, mirroring the movement Robin's made. "I could have her hop on one foot, but I don't think that would be such a good idea," Robin said.

"You can control her movements? How?"

"Rest easy, Vern'a. Koriand'r could resist if she wanted to," Kim'r said. "And she could do the same to him if she wished. I am impressed, Rob'n. You have done some research on the abilities of the Shinrah Crystal you share with her."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I do not wish to observe someone else's Reaffirmation Ceremony," Shel'b argued as Chris opened a door.

"Then you will be the focus of one, Lieutenant Commander," Robin's voice said.

Shel'b's head snapped around, and she saw the dozen people gathered at the front of the room. Robin stood before a small dais, and the others sat facing the front of the room. The Titans she recognized at once. Several other warriors she recognized, and was stunned that they had all been brought together. While she stood there with her mouth hanging open, Chr's removed her sword belt.

"You stand before the Grand Ruler, unarmed."

The sound of Chr's's voice shook Shel'b from her shock, and she stood straighter. She marched down the aisle and stopped a few feet in front of Robin. "I am Shel'b, daughter of Tani'a and Stor'n. I am a Warrior of Tamaran, and I am here to take the Oath of Reaffirmation."

"Who are these that stand beside you?" Robin asked.

Shel'b had to swallow the lump in her throat, when she saw who sat with Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven. "They are my comrades, my friends, and family."

"I am Cyborg, and this is Raven and Beast Boy. On Earth, we are known as the Teen Titans. We have fought and won many battles along side this warrior, and emerged victorious. We are honored to count her as our friend."

"I am Stor'n, bond mate of Tani'a, and father of this warrior. We have heard of her deeds and duties, and we are proud to call her daughter."

"I am Chr's, Commander in the Grand Ruler's personal guard, and betrothed of this warrior," he said, then looked warmly at her. "She is my love and my life."

There was a moments silence, then a small squeak revealed that a wheelchair was being pushed down the aisle.

"My Lady!" Shel'b gasped when she saw Vern'a pushing Starfire towards her. She watched as her Empress stood.

"I am Koriand'r, bond mate of the Grand Ruler. I am not here as her Empress, but as her friend and a fellow warrior. Because of a coincidence, Shel'b believes that her Day of Acceptance is one of shame, not to be celebrated, but to be all but ignored. I have heard of her actions since I first left Tamaran. Her duty to my parents, and the trust and confidence they placed in her. I am deeply honored to call her my friend, and I hope that now she no longer thinks of her Acceptance Day as tainted."

"Lieutenant Commander Shel'b, you have heard these claims of friendship, and respect," Robin said. "Do you return them?"

"With all my heart and soul, my Lord."

Robin nodded, and reached over to a small table to his right, and picked something up. "Warrior, you have proven yourself in training, and combat, step forward and accept this blade as your own," he said, holding out another sword, and belt, gripping it, by the middle of the sheath, with the belt wrapped around it.

Shel'b stepped forward, and took the sword and belt, then stepped back as she buckled it around her waist. After she buckled the belt on, she drew the sword and knelt on her left knee, holding the sword, hilt first toward Robin.

"Shel'b, warrior of Tamaran, do you pledge your heart and soul to Tamaran?"

"I pledge that with my last breath, and the end of my strength, that I will defend Tamaran from all enemies, and will do as the Grand Ruler commands." she replied, and Robin took the sword, and touched the flat of the blade to her shoulder.

"Arise warrior, and know that you have made your Grand Ruler proud this day."

Shel'b stood and sheathed her sword. She watched as Robin came down to stand beside Starfire.

"I see you are moving up in the world, Shel."

The redhead spun at the feminine voice, her face lighting up happily when she saw who it was. "X'Hal, Nik, it has been far to long," she said, giving the new arrival a warm hug.

"Indeed it has, Shel'b. I have heard good things about you. Even more that what you have passed on to me in your transmissions." Both women started to kneel when Robin walked up, but he stopped them.

"This is to honor you, Shel'b," Robin said. "For tonight, you are among friends and equals. I meant what I said when I accepted your Oath, I'm very proud of all your accomplishments, and your helping with Starfire."

"And I am as well," Starfire said.

"My Lady, I am deeply honored that you not only came, but stood beside me, and for you taking the time to honor me by taking my oath."

"For this evening, Shel'b, you are not to address me as your Empress. I am here as your friend, not your sovereign."

Shel'b nodded. "I take it that Chr's has been talking to both of you of my feelings of my Acceptance Day?"

"That is why I felt it important for me to be here," Starfire said, slipping her arms around Robins upper arm. "I will not argue that the night the Gordanians issued their ultimatum to my parents was not a day of shame, but I have recently been shown that was also the first of a long chain of events that brought Robin and I together. The loss of our parents is something that we have in common."

"So that's what you meant," Raven said. "When you and Beast Boy were injured fighting Blackfire's warriors on the VELANCE'R, Starfire and I were discussing my feelings for Beast Boy," she explained seeing the confused look on Robin's face. "She pointed out to me that something we had in common was having our hearts broken. I didn't believe that a relationship could work on such a negative thing, and she told me that she knew it could."

"Nik, forgive my manners," Shel'b said. "Rob'n, Koriand'r, this is Commander Niko'l. She is one of my best friends, and was my wing mate for quite some time."

Both Starfire and Robin returned the salute the brunette gave them.

"Shel has told me much about you, my Lord. One thing she left out was how handsome you are. My Lady, I congratulate you on finding one such as him, and I grieve with you both on your loss."

Robin almost smiled as he felt Starfire slip one of her arms around his waist, and the twinge of jealously she felt. "Thank you, Commander. I agree that I was most fortunate to meet him."

Shel'b noticed the concerned look that Robin gave Starfire.

"If you'll excuse us, it's been a long and trying day for Koriand'r. Vern'a will have my head if I let her overtire herself."

"It is very obvious that they are deeply devoted to each other, even more so that when they were on Tamaran together," Niko'l said. "They rival even you and Chr's at that," she added with a chuckle.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 30

It was a few days later. Vern'a had given both Starfire and Nie'l a clean bill of health, and they had joined Robin in one of the training rooms for his morning workout. Robin managed to duck out of the way of one of Starfire's star bolts, but his off balance position left him defenseless against Nie'l's, and he grunted as he landed hard on his back.

He rolled to his feet, and quickly grabbed Starfire's wrists as she flew at him. Rather than letting him throw her, Starfire landed and pulled him close then threw him several feet.

Robin rolled with the landing, his eyes wide with surprise and shock. He knew that he had been thrown that way before. He couldn't remember by who, but he was certain that it wasn't by Starfire. "Where did you learn that?!"

Starfire cooled her star bolts as she thought for a moment. "I am not certain, but I know it was not from you."

"She learned it from me, Robin, not Slade." The three of them turned at the new voice, and saw Blackfire standing in the doorway.

"Sister!" Starfire cried as she flew over and wrapped her older sister in a hug.

Robin smiled softly as he watched Blackfire return the embrace with equal warmth. Even more than when a similar scene played itself out in the Tower's common room. It was then that he realized when it was that he'd been thrown in the way that Starfire just used. It was the same throw that Blackfire had told him a Ven-Zo master on Tyrus Three had taught her. He saw the look of confusion on both their faces as he walked over to them and dropped to one knee. "Pe kovat shu, Komand'r, zena he lamaska."

"Robin, you are family and the Grand Ruler," Blackfire said. "You don't kneel to me."

"I'm not kneeling to you as Jemara, Blackfire, but to thank you and to apologize," Robin said. "If you won't accept that, then I'll try a more Earth custom method," he added, then gave the dark haired Tamaranean a hug. "Thank you, Blackfire for helping to free Starfire."

Starfire could see the surprise on her sister's face, and she chuckled softly.

"Okay," Blackfire said as she stepped back from Robin. "I know why you're thanking me, but what's the apology for?"

"When Kim'r and Galfore told me that you were with Slade, I didn't give you much credit, and thought you wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to actually go over to his side."

"Sister?" Starfire asked, as Blackfire took a few steps further away from Robin. Robin was struck at how the elder sister mimicked Starfire's movements and mannerisms as she held the upper part of her right arm with her left hand.

"You were right to be concerned, Robin. Slade's holding Kori gave me a means of possibly gaining the throne. It also gave me a way of getting back at you for spoiling my plans to marry her off to the Exalted Sklerch of Drenthax Four."

"Sister, if you had these thoughts, why did you not take the opportunity?"

Blackfire gave her sister a small smile. "It was when you woke up and found yourself shackled and wearing a control collar," she replied. "I saw how it effected you. Your words to me were angry, but I could see and feel the fear beneath them." She walked over to where Starfire stood, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I told you the truth, Kori, when I said that you had no idea how I felt seeing you like that. I didn't enjoy it, as you thought. I was ashamed, hurt, and sad. Your spirit is far stronger than I thought, little sister. You would never bow down to anyone as master, no matter what Trogaar did to you."

Starfire reached up and gently touched Blackfire's cheek. "I am your sister, Koma. I could do no less."

The moment was shattered as they all turned to see Kim'r and Shel'b hurrying into the room.

"Robin, Koriand'r, thank X'Hal we found you before he did," Kim'r said. "Come, we must get you to a place of safety."

"What is wrong, Kim'r?" Starfire asked as she moved over to Nie'l and put her arm around his shoulders protectively. "Who is it that we must be protected from?"

"That would be me, troq suvasha," a male Tamaranean said as he walked through the door. "Captain Kim'r, Commander, Shel'b, put away your swords. You know why I am here, and you know you can not interfere."

"Teranc'r," Robin growled, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword. "What do you want here?"

"I am surprised, ruthasha. I thought you were more intelligent than that. I am here to remove you from the throne."

"You wear no rank," Starfire said. "We do not recognize your right to challenge, niovu."

Robin felt a chill as he saw the smile that Teranc'r wore. "Under your rule I may be a criminal, but the Ca'ri says otherwise," he said as he slowly took a scroll from a pocket in his cloak. "To them I am a patriot of Tamaran."

Kim'r stepped forward and took the scroll from him. "Rob'n, a challenge for the crown cannot be refused, and there are no restrictions to them," she said as she scanned the document. She rolled it back up and handed it back. "He has been pardoned by the Ca'ri, and has the right to challenge you. In fact, one of the conditions of the pardon is that he does so, and takes the crown."

Teranc'r removed his cloak, and tossed it over by the wall. "You defeated me at your Confirmation as Koriand'r's Shalocfa, because I could not use any of my powers. I defeated you when you came to rescue Princess Blackfire from Sal'don," he said. "I give you the opportunity to surrender, now, and save yourself the pain and humiliation of my defeating you."

Robin looked over and saw the worried look on Starfire and Nie'l's faces, then he glanced over at Kim'r. "No restrictions, right? I can use anything at my disposal?"

"That is correct, my Lord."

"You don't seriously think that I'm going to take that offer, do you?"

"No, Robin," Teranc'r replied, smiling evilly. "I actually expect, and hope, that you will not. I only offered it because Komane'r instructed me to."

"I didn't think it was because you actually don't want to hurt me," Robin said. He unclasped his cloak and handed it to Starfire. He was glad that he had not decided to wear his normal outfit, but was wearing the set of armor that Starfire had first given him. "I always have liked actually fighting to sparring," he said as he drew his sword. He returned the salute that Teranc'r gave him, then they circled warily, gauging each others reactions.

Teranc'r attacked first, his sword cutting through the air as he slashed at Robin's stomach.

Instead of dodging away from the blade, Robin jumped up and did a diving forward roll over it, Teranc'r's eye beam blast scorching the air where Robin would have been had he dodged the other way.

"You have learned well, ruthasha. You realize that it is only a matter of time before I bring you down."

"I know you'll keep trying."

Teranc'r tried variations of the same move twice more. The last time he sent a star bolt in the opposite direction from his eye blast. "I am impressed, ruthasha," he said as he looked up at where Robin was dangling from one of his grapnel lines. "I usually. . . aaaaauuuggghhhh!" he began, but cut off with a yell as a birdarang exploded inches from his chest. The concussion knocked him back a few feet, and the flash blinded him for a moment. His vision cleared just in time for him to see a pair of boots filling his field of vision an instant before they connected with his head. He staggered and growled angrily as he caught his balance then flew at Robin.

Robin side stepped and slashed downward with his sword, cutting a deep groove in the armor covering the back of Teranc'r's right leg. The next time he flew at him, Robin jumped up and over him, but the older man managed to grab hold of one of Robin's ankles, pulling him off balance and Robin landed hard on his back.

"Robin!" Starfire cried in alarm as she watched Teranc'r swinging his blade down, not to slash or cut, but to stab through his armor.

Teranc'r's downward motion stopped as Robin rolled to his right, his left hand snapping upward. Teranc'r's left hand went to where his upper arm was unprotected near the shoulder. "You intend to defeat me by sticking me with pins, ruthasha?" he taunted as he pulled a small device from his arm. He drew his hand back to launch a star bolt at Robin, but he was shocked to see only the dimmest of a red flash at his hand.

Robin stood, and sheathed his sword. "Not a pin, Teranc'r, but a needle," he said, holding up an identical device. Identical, except this one was blue colored. "I almost hope that they've been giving you veka serum while you've been in prison. That way the dose you just got might make you seyla permanently."

Teranc'r glared at Robin. "Typical of you, ruthasha, to make a mockery of our traditions. Your use of veka serum violates the conditions of the challenge."

"Not so, Teranc'r," Shel'b said. "There are no restrictions to challenges for the crown."

"I could have ended it just now, like this," Robin said as he turned and threw a birdarang at the person who was sneaking up behind him.

"And how would that have accomplished that, ruthasha?" Teranc'r asked. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard the device beeping softly. "Shan'a!" he shouted in warning.

"What is it, my husband?" she asked, then gasped in surprise when the birdarang stopped beeping and popped softly. With a groan she sank to the floor as the wistona gas took effect.

"I see you put up your sword. Does that mean you are surrendering?"

Robin gave Teranc'r a lopsided grin as he reached to the small of his back. "No. It just means that I'm not looking to kill you," he said as he extended his staff.

"I hope you know that I am not going to stop trying to kill you," Teranc'r said as he lunged at Robin his sword raised. "Even with my being seyla, you are no match for me, ruthasha."

Robin had to admit that Teranc'r was more experienced than he was at his style of fighting, but Robin was confident that his variety would give him an edge. "So that's why I defeated you and was able to become Koriand'r's shalocfa?" he asked as he swept Teranc'r's sword to the side and his return stroke slammed into his opponent's side.

"As I told you once before, I underestimated you then. I will not do so now. One thing I will not be able to enjoy after I have killed you is the look on your face when your young wife becomes Shan'a's handmaiden."

"You won't have that pleasure at all," Robin said after he parried several more blows. He then brought his staff up and over, catching Teranc'r on the back of his legs, just below his knees.

"Then she will go before I do!" Teranc'r shouted as he rolled back to his feet, his left hand snapping forward, sending a knife at Starfire.

"My Lady! Look out!" Kim'r cried as she flew at Starfire knocking her aside.

Teranc'r cursed in Tamaranean as he watched Kim'r slump to the floor, and Starfire picking herself up from where she had been shoved. He soon regretted not only putting Starfire in danger, but also taking his eyes off Robin as he sprawled face down from a blow to his back from Robin's staff.

"Koriand'r, no. You can not interfere or Rob'n will lose," Shel'b said when she saw the bright green glow at Starfire's hands and eyes. "Help me tend to Kim'r."

"You have tried to kill her for the last time," Robin said, then unleashed a barrage of blows with his staff, backing Teranc'r up across the room. At the end he trapped Teranc'r's sword on the ground and he stepped on it midway up the blade, snapping it, then rammed his elbow into the side of his head.

Teranc'r was panting heavily as he was on his hands and knees, and he looked back over his shoulder at Robin. "Shu vata naf wa'che i troq suvasha olivom." As Teranc'r spoke he got to his feet, and Robin saw him smile softly. "Nie'l will prove an interesting sparring partner. Far more than his sister was."

Robin blocked the swipe Teranc'r made at him with the shard of his sword, knocking it from his hand. His counter blow with his staff slammed into the side of Teranc'r's head staggering him. Collapsing his staff, he went at his opponent bare handed. He used a leg sweep and took Teranc'r's legs out from under him and Robin landed on his knees astride him continuing to rain blows. "You. . . .will. . . .not. . . . .touch. . . .them," he said in time with the punches he was throwing.

"Robin, stop," Starfire said as she knelt on one knee beside him grabbing his left hand at the top of its arc. "He is defeated. You are victorious, my husband."

Robin turned and glared at Starfire, angry at her stopping him. Then he saw the look in her eyes, and he sighed heavily. He cringed when he looked down at Teranc'r. He was unconscious, his left eye was swollen nearly shut, and Robin could see that his nose had been broken. He remembered a similar situation when Starfire had stopped him from continuing to strike an opponent. It was when he had gone postal and taken out the Sladebots that had been sent against them in the warehouse, when they thought Slade had a kronoton generator. That was against a robot and excusable, but Teranc'r was not a robot, but a living person.

"Kim'r will be alright, Robin. She is unconscious only because she struck her head on the wall after pushing me out of the way. Teranc'r's knife did not strike anywhere critical," Starfire said. "Raven has taken her to the healing section and Vern'a is tending to her."

"Thank you, Star," Robin said when they stood back up. He glanced down at where Teranc'r lay. "I almost. . . ."

Starfire cupped Robin's cheek in her hand. "I know, my love, but you did not."

"The Ca'ri has over stepped themselves," Nie'l said angrily. "They may have the power to pardon him, but that does not make it right."

"Learn that lesson well, shovoto," Blackfire said. "Power is what it is, but how it is used is what matters. Use it incorrectly and it will come back to haunt you."

"Kovat shu, Tivana Komand'r. I will use your experience in that to keep myself from doing the same."

Robin smiled softly when Blackfire called Nie'l shovoto, or nephew, and it widened when Nie'l called her Aunt Blackfire. For some reason he found Blackfire being so. . . .domestic cute, and that was something he didn't usually think of Blackfire as.

"There must be something we can do to bring the Ca'ri back under control," Shel'b said.

There was silence for a few moments, then Shel'b spoke up. "I believe I may know a way. Mik'l and Kim'r will need to help, but it should work."

"If it's ships you need, I assure you that Kor'mel will help."

"That may be necessary," Shel'b said, and he motioned the others closer. "This is what I propose."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 31

"Captain Kim'r, Commander Shel'b, what is the meaning of this?" Komane'r demanded as they entered the room. "This is the Chamber of the Ca'ri. You have no place here."

Neither answered as they looked across the room at the 'U' shaped table with the four members of the Ca'ri that traveled with the Grand Ruler's flagship. They stepped to the side, allowing Starfire and Robin to pass between them as they dragged Teranc'r by his arms. When they were about ten feet from their table they dropped the unconscious man with a thud.

"Your champion has failed, Komane'r. I am still Grand Ruler," Robin said. He noticed that the other three members whispered nervously to each other, while Komane'r's eyes narrowed in anger.

"I see that we must take a more direct approach. Guards, seize them!"

Kim'r and Shel'b's hands went to the hilts of their swords as they watched four guard in red robes approach Robin and Starfire. Just as the guards reached out to grab the couple by the arms there was the sound of something flying through the air followed by the metallic clang of batarangs as they struck the armor on their forearms.

"They are here with a grievance. I suggest you hear them out," Batman said as he stepped up behind Robin and Starfire.

"What business do you have here, Batman? Any dealings we had with you have been completed."

"I am here at Robin and Starfire's request, as a neutral observer, Komane'r," he replied. "From what I've seen so far, it's a good thing they did."

"And what of you Komand'r?"

"You may be the head of the Ca'ri, but you will address me correctly, Komane'r."

"My apologies, Princess," Komane'r said, the tone of his voice showing his contempt for her.

"Try again, old man," Blackfire growled, her eyes glowing slightly as her hand went to a large medallion she was wearing. "If you don't show me proper respect, I'm certain my husband will take offense and you will have a war on your hands."

Komane'r gasped when he realized his mistake. He also realized that he was going to have to be more cautious when dealing with her. "Forgive me, Jemara, I had forgotten."

Blackfire saw the look that her sister gave her, and she bit back the remark she was going to make. _'Diplomacy, Blackfire, diplomacy. You know Kori's better at it than you are, and this is not the time,' _she thought to herself. "I'm here representing the Salvainian Empire, seeing as we have treaties with Tamaran. I hope to see that they remain in effect."

"Komane'r, you are charged with high treason, and plotting to over throw the Grand Ruler and take those powers for yourself," Starfire said. "You others are not charged, as you were being mislead and thought you would all share the rule of Tamaran."

"What proof do you have of this?"

"All the proof we need to take this to a tribunal, Komane'r," Starfire said as she took a thumb sized cylinder and slid it into a computer terminal by the end of the table. "The data should now appear on your monitors."

The three other members of the Ca'ri gave Komane'r angry glances after they read the plans of their being killed off over the next few weeks.

"This fonecha lies! Those documents are false!"

"No, Komane'r, they are not," on of them said. "The computer time indexes are clearly visible. You have been planning on this for months."

"Did you really think that I would do nothing, and let you usurp the Throne?"

"No, Koriand'r, with you remaining here on Earth, there is little you can do to stop me," Komane'r said, smiling softly as Starfire's eyes narrowed at his dropping the honorific from her name.

"Our people would not stand for it."

"Shel'b, warriors grow tired of being ruled by a mere child, despite his having such distinguished regents as Galfore and Captain Kim'r. Besides, she does not have the backing of the people to stand in my way." Komane'r snapped his fingers and ten more warriors in the red robes of the Ca'ri's guard quickly entered the room.

Robin saw Shel'b touch her wrist communicator, then give him a slight nod. "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Before Komane'r could say anything the alarm klaxon started sounding, with the accompanying red lights.

"Bridge, this is Komane'r, what is the meaning of this alert?"

"Honored Chancellor, several ships have just dropped from hyperspace and are burning hard on an intercept course with us."

"Captain Mer'l, we have six vessels on our scanners," a voice said over the speaker from the bridge background.

"Who are they?" Komane'r demanded.

"Identification transmission now received and being processed," Mer'l said. "What in X'Hal's name. . . ." he gasped.

"Captain, report."

"Chancellor, they are Tamaranean ships. The NUMEN'R, SOMON'R, BRIND'R, ROSHON'R, BOROMI'R and TOMOR'O," Mer'l reported. "Arrival time estimated at twenty minutes local time. They did not drop in at standard coordinates, but at a nadir point above the system."

"Twenty minutes will not be soon enough to save you," Komane'r said to Robin. Just then, the ship shook.

"Chancellor, we have been fired upon by the SOMOR'O, and scanners report that the VENAR and TAMAR have powered up their weapons and have locked onto to us," Mer'l reported. "We have an incoming communication from the SOMOR'O."

"Patch it down here," Komane'r said.

"Channel open."

"Fleet Admiral Kova'n, what is the meaning of your firing on us?!"

"I did not call to speak to you, Komane'r," Kova'n said. "Vidok'an Rob'n, are you well?"

"We haven't been harmed, Admiral, but with the number of guards in the room, I don't think that we will be allowed to leave."

"Chancellor Komane'r, we have three more ships inbound," Captain Mer'l interrupted. "Identity scans show them to the the Salvainian warships, VANYAR, VALANOR, and the LIANDER. They are on a course that will put them within weapons range in five minutes."

"Komane'r, I will not allow you to hold the Grand Ruler hostage, or let you continue your plans to take the throne," Admiral Kova'n said. "You will surrender at once, or I will fire and render the ROHA'N a powerless hulk."

"Mer'l, you will raise defensive shields, arm weapons systems and target the SOMOR'O, at once."

There was a moment's silence on the channel, then Mer'l's voice replied. "No, Komane'r, I will not. Admiral Kova'n, I am standing down all defensive and offensive systems. I speak for the warriors on this vessel when I say that we support the rightful rule of Vidok'an Rob'n and the Royal Family. My Lord, not long ago I gave you my word and my support, you also have my loyalty."

Just then, Chr's and a squad of warriors charged into the room. "Surrender!" he shouted to the Ca'ri guards, "Or join with Komane'r in his waiting to be executed for treason."

Without hesitation the red robed warriors sheathed their swords, then knelt facing Robin and Starfire. "We surrender ourselves to your mercy, my Lord," a warrior with the insignia of Captain said.

"You will go to your quarters and await further orders," Kim'r said, and they filed out of the room. Chr's motioned with his hand and two warriors moved up and took Komane'r into custody.

"Admiral Kova'n, Komane'r has been taken into custody, and the Ca'ri guards have surrendered to me. Thank you for your support."

"My pleasure, my Lord. I was only keeping with my Oath to defend the Grand Ruler and obey his commands."

"Will you take the position I offered you?" Starfire asked.

"I do not require any reward for what I have done, my Lady, but yes I will accept your generous offer."

"Very good, Chancellor. Your posting as head of the Ca'ri will take place tomorrow morning." Starfire watched the other warriors file out of the room, leaving herself, Batman, Robin, Kim'r, Shel'b and Chr's alone in the room. "I thank you for what you have done for my home world, Batman, and I will honor our agreement. I will return to Tamaran, and Robin will stay behind to lead the Titans."

"What??!!" Robin shouted. "He. . . .you. . . ." he stammered, then his face became a mask of fury, and he went to lunge at he mentor. The only thing that stopped him was Starfire's hands on his shoulders, and that Chr's and Shel'b stepped between them. "You son of a. . .you couldn't wait, could you? You had that information and used it to trap Starfire into accepting that deal."

"Robin, no. It is not what you think," Starfire said, "And you know perfectly well how I know what you are thinking. He did not come to me with this information, I contacted him."

"It is true, my Lord," Shel'b said. "The day after my Reaffirmation, Lady Koriand'r had me take a shuttle over to the Watchtower while you were aboard the SOMOR'O."

'_I have need of your help, Batman,'_ Starfire's voice said from the recorder she now held. '_I am aware that you have suspicions of things going on, to use Robin's words, behind the scenes. What he does not know is that they are more in front of the scenes than he is aware. It has come to my attention that members of the Ca'ri are staging an overthrow of the Grand Rulership that has governed my planet for generations. Robin has told me much of your abilities in finding information. This is a security clearance that will enable you to access the entirety of the Tamaranean computer system. In repayment for your help, I will return to Tamaran, and do so without Robin. You will have your wish, and I will be out of his life.'_

_'Why not have Robin search for the information?' Batman's voice asked. 'He has ways of finding things out that are just as good as mine.'_

_'He. . .would not take my suspicions seriously. There are times when he only sees me as the naive alien girl he met five years ago. I will admit that on Earth, that may be true, but I was raised on Tamaran at the Royal Court for the first 14 years of my life. I know well the intrigues that go on. I have heard that you and Diana have had some dealings with such things. Something to do with the Princess of Kasnia.'_

_'Very well, Starfire. I will do what I can.'_

"What he was able to do was provide me with the information to expose Komane'r and his plans," Starfire said as she put the recorder on the table. "Forgive me, my husband, but I must do what is best for my home."

Robin pulled her into a hug. "I understand, Star. I only wish you had found a different way." He pulled back from the embrace and gently touched his forehead to hers. "At least we'll have a couple more weeks until the fleet leaves."

"I know I'm going to regret this, but you'll have longer than that," Batman said. "Starfire, you don't have to keep your half of our agreement, because I didn't keep mine."

"But you gave me the information."

"It was information I already had from when I checked on Komane'r. I just didn't know it's significance until you asked about it. As you said you were doing what was best for your home world, and I won't punish you for that."

"My Lord, I wish that you would not let him aboard our ships," Kim'r said as they watched Batman leave. "He is disruptive, and he does not like your being bonded to Koriand'r."

"I don't know about being disruptive, Captain, but you are right that it's her and my relationship that he hates, not Starfire. Now if you'll excuse me, there is something I have to take care of."

Bowing slightly from the waist, Kim'r watched as Robin walked over to where Chr's and Shel'b were talking.

"I am glad that you finally see your Acceptance day as something to be celebrated rather than shunned," Robin heard Chr's say as he brushed the back of his hand over Shel'b's cheek.

Shel'b took Chr's's hand and held it against her cheek for a moment then kiss the palm. "I have realized that my feelings were foolish, as are yours concerning him."

Robin grew both curious and concerned when Chr's's voice was edged with anger when he replied. "He kept me from doing my duty. I can not forgive him for that."

"Then I should not have forgiven you for preventing me from doing my duty and taking Koriand'r's place? Do not tell me that you were acting under her royal command is an excuse. You heard, as well as I, that Myand'r ordered him to get both of us off the SOMOR'O, and to leave him behind."

"This is something between he and I, Shel. It does not concern you."

Robin could tell that Chr's's tone of voice and statement has stung Shel'b by the stiffening of her back, and the tone of her voice as she replied. "A shu delina, empero du ne penefa," she snapped, then turned abruptly to walk away to find herself almost nose to nose with Robin. "Your pardon, my Lord."

"Of course, Shel'b. I was just coming over to talk to you," he said. "To thank you more properly for your support and help during this crisis."

"I was only doing as my oath dictates, my Lord, I deserve no special praise."

"What you will get, however, is a promotion, Commander, for your quick and clear thinking. You came up with a plan, and it worked perfectly. Congratulations."

Shel'b looked at the small box containing the diamond shaped pin that denoted the rank of a full Commander. "I do not know what to say, my Lord."

"Then at least say thank you and take it," Robin prompted, then turned slightly when he heard Starfire giggle softly just behind him.

Shel'b's hand shook slightly as she lifted the pin from its box, and Robin quickly pocketed the box then took the pin and replaced the square one on her right shoulder with it. "Wear it with honor and pride, Commander," he said, bringing his right fist to his left shoulder in salute.

"Thank you, my Lord. I hope that I will live up to the responsibility you place in me."

"If your past performance is any example, Shel'b, I have no doubt," Robin said, then looked at where Shel'b was looking as she muttered a curse under her breath. He saw Kim'r salute the man that entered the room. "I don't think that would be the proper thing to say when you see a superior officer."

Robin saw the flash of anger and annoyance in her blue eyes before she realized who she was about to talk to. "No, it is not, but Fleet Admiral Kova'n is Chr's's father."

"I see. He's the one you and Chr's were discussing when I walked up, right?"

"Rob'n, how much of that did you hear?"

"Not much, but enough to put together some of what you have told me," Robin said. "He really hasn't spoken to him for four years?"

"Unless duty required it. I do not know how it is effecting Kova'n, but inside it is bothering Chr's, but he is too proud to admit it to even himself."

"Perhaps we can do something to help with that, Shel'b," Starfire said.

Shel'b sighed as she nodded. She saw that Chr's had seen his father enter the room and he quickly went to the far wall and followed it to the door. "Much as I do not wish to force the issue with him, I hope that you can."

"My Lord, my Lady," Kova'n said as he dropped to one knee. "Rob'n, I thank you for ending Komane'r's bid to usurp the throne."

"I simply got tired of someone trying to kill Koriand'r or myself," Robin replied as Kova'n stood. "Commander Shel'b here is the one who came up with the actual plan."

Robin saw Shel'b blush as Kova'n smiled at her. "I can see that my son has been most wise in finding a bond mate. She is as smart as she is beautiful."

"And he's stubborn as well," Robin said. "I know enough to not intrude on family matters, but he does himself no good by not talking to you, or forgiving you for something that happened almost five years ago."

"And with him being part of your personal guard, his place is here, my husband."

"Your personal guard, my Lord?" Kova'n asked. "It seems that history repeats itself. Rob'n, I will not interfere with discipline between a Commanding Officer and his subordinate. . ."

"Kova'n, it's been said that what some would see as interference would be considered by others to be advice," Robin said when Kova'n paused. "There is a lot I don't understand about Tamaranean custom and culture. I would like very much to help heal this rift between you and Chr's, as I know what it's like to lose a father."

Robin looked to his left as he felt Starfire's arm slide around his waist. "As do I," she said.

"Kova'n, in two days, Chr's and I will be taking the Oath of Bonding," Shel'b said. "I believe that your place is there, with him."

Kova'n smiled warmly at Shel'b as he nodded. "Very well, Commander, I will be there, although I do not think that Chr's will be too pleased."

"I believe that Koriand'r and I will be able to talk some sense into him then."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 32

"I wish to thank you for this again, Rob'n," Chr's said as they looked at the small gathering in the common room of Titans Tower. All of the Titans were there as were Kim'r, Mik'l and several other warriors, some of whom Robin had yet to meet.

"What in X'Hal's name is he doing here?" Chr's asked, snapping Robin from his thoughts.

"He is here at my invitation, my love," Shel'b said. "He is your father, part of your family. His place is here."

Robin saw that anger in Chr's's eyes. "Chr's," he warned.

"He is no father to me. If he was, he would not have prevented me from getting the Emperor off the SOMOR'O."

"Is this the kind of treatment I can expect from you when I become your wife? To be shunned if I do something that you do not approve of?"

"You do not understand. It is. . ."

Shel'b's eyes glowed softly as she gripped the hilt of her sword. "If you **dare** to say that I do not understand because I am female I will make you regret that in a shavek hifa, betrothed or not."

"Commander, think before you speak or this Bonding Ceremony might not take place," Starfire said softly.

"Your pardon, my Lady, Highness," Chr's said then stormed off.

"No, Shel'b give him some time to cool off, then Koriand'r and I will go talk to him," Robin said, his hand on her shoulder, keeping her from following.

"As you wish, Highness," Shel'b said, then cocked her head to one side in curiosity. "What is it that makes you smile, Highness?"

"Just that it's a relief to be Prince Rob'n again instead of Emperor. This way I get to see more of Starfire as I have less to do with state affairs."

"But you will still have to accompany Nie'l on his tour of the fleet, seeing as all but three ships are here. The VELANCE'R, FARAMI'R, and PELENO'R, are still in orbit around Tamaran as a home guard, but they have sent representative aboard the ships that are here to confirm their loyalty to the Emperor."

"But this time I won't have to challenge anyone."

"Oh come on, Robin, you know you enjoyed that," Blackfire taunted slightly as she walked over. "No, Shel'b, Robin don't kneel. I may be here as Jemara but this is your day, Commander, and I know how much it bothers Robin for him to bow to me."

"Maybe before, Prevani, but not anymore."

Shel'b chuckled softly at the surprised looks on both Blackfire and Starfire's faces when Robin used the Tamaranean word for sister-in-law. "I do not know why you two are so surprised that he called Komand'r, prevani. You are her sister, Koriand'r, and he is bonded to you.

"To be honest, Blackfire, you're using your second chance very well."

"Just don't expect me to become like her," Blackfire said, nodding toward her sister.

"X'Hal forbid," Starfire said, and they all laughed.

"If you will excuse me, I wish to go speak to my parents," Shel'b said and walked over to a small knot of warriors.

"You get much nicer to me, and some might get the wrong idea, Robin," Blackfire said putting her arm around his shoulder. "Not that I'd mind," she added as she put her head on his shoulder. She laughed as Robin quickly ducked away from her.

"Do not presume, Sister," Starfire said stepping between them. "I do not believe Kor'mel would approve."

"If I thought she was serious, no, I would not," Kor'mel said as he walked up. "However I am getting used to her sense of humor," he added as he put his arm around Blackfire's waist.

Robin smiled softly as Starfire blushed when Blackfire turned toward Kor'mel and kissed him soundly. _'They are married, Kori,_" he said to her through their bond.

_'Then you will not mind if I do the same,"_ She thought back and drew him into a kiss.

"Hey, if you guys are going to turn this into a make out session, there's a bunch of us who can leave," Cyborg said as he walked over.

Kor'mel and Blackfire simply stopped kissing, while Starfire and Robin broke apart blushing.

"Where's the groom, anyway?" Beast Boy asked.

"That is something we must take care of," Starfire said.

"He's on the roof."

"Thanks, Raven."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Robin and Starfire stood at the doorway that lead from the stairs to the roof of the Tower. They watched the lone figure as he stood looking over the bay as it sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. The breeze toyed with his cloak, occasionally causing it to stream out behind him, but more often simply causing it to billow around him. As they agreed, Starfire waited by the doorway as Robin approached Chr's. He stopped for a moment when he was close enough to hear that the warrior was talking to himself. Robin smiled as he listened for a moment. _'This might be easier than I thought,' _ he thought.

"Shel'b is right, he is my father, part of my family, and he has the right to be here for this," Chr's said, unaware that he was being listened to. "He was not acting as my father when he ordered me removed from Myand'r's quarters. He was acting as a ships captain following the commands of the Grand Ruler. Is Shel'b correct? Am I being overly stubborn in not forgiving him?"

"Seeing as it's kept you from speaking to your father for almost five years, I'd say yes," Robin said, startling Chr's. "I see you've found where most of us come to get away from the others, and think."

"Due respect, Highness, but that **is** why I came up here, to be alone. Your intrusion is not welcome."

"I didn't think that it would be, but it is necessary. Chr's, you have a room full of guests, and your betrothed downstairs wondering if the Bonding Ceremony will take place. What do I tell them, Commander? That you are going to let this thing, between you and your father keep you from taking the Oath with Shel'b?"

Chr's looked at Robin for a moment, then back out at the bay. "You would not understand."

"You got that right," Robin said. "I don't claim to be an expert on Tamaranean culture, but everything Starfire taught me spoke of the importance that you put on family. The bond, between parents and their children, is what gives an infant the power of flight, even before they learn to crawl. So yes, Chr's, I don't understand, but I do envy you."

"You envy me, Highness? How? Why?"

Robin looked out over the water, towards the city. He could feel Chr's's eyes on him as he waited for his answer. "Because of your ability to choose, Chr's. It's by your choice that you don't speak to your father. I envy you that choice, because it is one that I don't have. One I haven't had for quite some time.

"One he wishes, with all his heart, that he had again," Starfire said as she came up behind Robin and put her hands on his shoulders. "A wish that I share with with him. Chr's, do not let your honor, or your pride keep you from your father. Our time with them is all to brief."

They stood there for a few moments, then Robin sighed softly. "Come on, Star. I'll think of something to tell them."

They were almost to the door, when Chr's's voice stopped them. "Highness. . . .Rob'n, tell them that there will be a Bonding, but first send Kova'n up here. I wish. . . . .I choose to speak to my father. A choice I am long overdue in making. Rob'n, Koriand'r, I grieve with you, I grieve with both of you for your loss. The loss of something I have been taking for granted, but will not take for granted again."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A while later, Robin sighed nervously as he stepped to the front of the room. He hated public speaking, but at least this wouldn't be a speech, but a prescribed ceremony.

_'Be confident, my husband, you know the ceremony, just relax and you will do fine.'_

Robin smiled over at Starfire for the encouragement she gave him through their bond. He took a deep breath and began. "Honored friends and family, we gather here for the second most important event in a warriors life. The first being when they take their Oath of Acceptance, and become warriors. Today we gather here to witness as Shel'b and Chr's recite the Oath of Bonding to each other."

The room was silent as the couple walked to the front of the room, then faced each other and held hands, their parents coming up to stand beside them.

"Chr's, shu vata ne mathad e genthelas du penefa. Shu vata nevento che genthalas du ne corino."

"Shel'b, shu vata ne mathad e genthelas du penefa. Shu vata nevento che genthalas du ne corino. Shu vata nevento ne itera."

"Chr's, shu vata nevento ne itera."

Robin nodded, and Tani'a handed a ring to Shel'b while Kova'n handed one to Chr's.

"From one ingot these rings were wrought," they said in unison. "With the kle'vechu it was bought."

"Each forming a perfect unending circle, separate from the other." Chr's said, slipping his onto Shel'b's finger.

"Each representing the unending love we have for each other," Shel'b said putting the rings she held onto Chr's's finger. "I pledge my life and all that I am to you, my beloved."

"As I pledge all that I am and all that I have to you, mistress of my heart."

There was silence as they touched foreheads for a moment, then embraced.

"In accordance with Tamaranean law, this has been properly witnessed, and you are now bonded," Robin said after they broke the embrace. "May X'Hal smile upon you."

There was a polite round of applause from the gathered guests, then they started coming up to congratulate the couple.

"Hey Robin, why didn't you and Starfire go through a ceremony like this?" Beast Boy asked as he and Raven finished giving their congratulations.

"It was because of my impatience," Starfire said, then blushed slightly at the grin Cyborg gave her. "With the situation being what it was, I did not wish to take the chance that something might have come up to interfere with things between Robin and myself. We had the witnesses, and we both wanted to take the Oath, so we did."

"It wasn't until I started looking into the ceremony for Chr's and Shel'b that I realized just how shortened our bonding was," Robin said.

"Do not worry, Titan Beast Boy," Galfore said. "Despite the brevity of it, their bonding is valid."

"Although not exactly what Star always hoped her bonding would be like," Robin said so softly, that the only one who heard him was Starfire as she was standing beside him. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by another voice.

"Korana! X'Hal it is good to finally see you again, empera du penefa!"

Robin knew he was gaping like a fool, but couldn't stop himself as a young Tamaranean male came up and wrapped Starfire in a hug. As far as he knew the only ones to use the diminutive form of her name was Vern'a and her parents. He was both worried and relieved to see the shock and surprise on everyone else's faces.

"Kalv. . . .Kalvane'r?" Starfire stammered as she pulled herself from his embrace. "What in X'Hal's name are you doing here?"

"I am here to renew what we once had," he replied. He reached up and trailed his fingertips down her cheek to her neck. "I am here to become your intended again."

The only thing that kept Robin from lashing out at the dark haired Tamaranean was the fact that there were so many other people present, and the feelings he was getting from Starfire about the new arrival.

"Kalvane'r, Koriand'r is both your Empress, and bonded to another," Galfore said. "You will act accordingly."

Kalvane'r looked over at Robin, his contempt and hatred for him clearly showing in his blue eyes. "This ruthasha troq believes that he can hold her?"

The sudden silence was punctuated by the sound of a slap, as Starfire's hand left it's mark on Kalvane'r's face. He looked at her to find himself looking at a set of emerald green eyes that were glowing brightly with anger.

"You will not address my husband in that manner again!"

"You have forgotten what we once had, Korana?"

"We were children then, Kalvane'r, and do not call me that." Starfire was silent for a moment as she realized that the discussion she was having was something better discussed in private, not in front of a room full of guests. "Robin, Kalvane'r is an old acquaintance. I wish to speak to him in private." she looked down as she unclasped a chain from around her neck. "Truly in private, my husband," she said as she handed him her crystal.

Robin knew that there were very few people in the room that could read the expression on his face, and they knew how angry he was at the moment. He saw that Galfore was eying him closely as he took the crystal.

"As you wish, my love. I trust you completely," he said as he put his arm around her as he touched his forehead to hers. "I'll hold onto this until you come back for it."

"I do not like this, Highness."

"Neither do I Kim'r. Who is he?"

"While she was growing up, Koriand'r was treated as all Tamaranean children were," Kim'r replied. "At least while she was with her training cadre. It was during breaks in the training that she was treated any differently. As a member of the Royal Family, her friendships were carefully watched, and arranged."

"What you are not aware of, Rob'n is that there are few families on Tamaran that are of, what you would call, the nobility," Galfore said. "I am certain that you have noticed that most of us do not have what you would call a family name, such as Koriand'r and Komand'r."

"So they are, for lack of a better term, the Fire family,"

"Correct, Titan Cyborg. Another such family is the ane'r, or sword family," Galfore said. "I see by the look on your face that you have made the connection, Rob'n."

"Komane'r, Blacksword, is his father?" he asked and the elder warrior nodded.

"Kalvane'r, or Brightsword, was chosen as being acceptable as a companion for her, and they seemed to grow close."

"Looks like you've got competition, Robin."

"No, Beast Boy, he does not," Kim'r said. "About a month before she was taken from us, Koriand'r was found in a little traveled section of the palace, with some minor cuts on her arms. It took some coaxing, but she finally revealed that she and Komane'r had gotten into an argument, and he struck her. The argument was about Koriand'r not accepting Kalvane'r's bid for marriage."

"When he was confronted with the facts, Komane'r insisted that his son had no knowledge of what he had done," Galfore said.

"Great," Robin said, then walked off.

"No, Kova'n," Raven said, stopping the older man from following Robin. "He needs some time to think about this."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was a short time later, when Robin was pacing in the hall outside the common room. He turned and found Shel'b standing a few feet away.

"Highness, I know this has upset you, but he is not competition to you," she said, then noticed that he was holding something in his hand. "What is that?"

Robin held the device out and looked at it. Shel'b could see that he was struggling with a decision. "It's a receiver," he said. "When I put my hand on the back of Starfire's neck, I planted a small listening device on her neck piece. This picks up the signal from it."

"Highness, I thought. . . . ."

"I do trust her, Shel'b. That's why it's not turned on," he said, and Shel'b saw him take a small panel off the back and remove something from it. "Shel'b I want you to use your star bolt energy, and melt that into a useless lump of slag. I may not trust him, but I trust Starfire completely."

"With pleasure," Shel'b said as she sent a beam of energy at the device where Robin had set it on the floor. In moments the device was a smoking lump of melted circuits and plastic. "Your decision was most wise, Highness. As you once asked Koriand'r, if you can not trust her, where does that leave you?"

Robin gave Shel'b a lopsided grin as he remembered that conversation with Starfire. "Actually, I asked her is she couldn't trust me where did that leave us," he corrected. "You realize that you were the topic of that conversation, right?"

"Yes, Robin, I do. It was shortly after you became her shalocfa. She was uncomfortable with the fact that I look so much like her, and had become part of your guard." She was going to say more, but she saw the sudden change in Robin's expression from amusement to concern as he looked toward the ceiling. "Robin, what is it?"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 33

"Robin what is it?" Shel'b asked. She knew something was bothering him when Raven suddenly appeared a few feet away.

"Star," Robin said softly, "Raven, get Galfore, Kim'r and as many as my guard as possible and get them to the roof, as fast as you can," he snapped. "Shel'b, take me to the roof, quickly. Something is going on between Starfire and Kalvane'r."

"How can you tell? She is not wearing her crystal."

"They have a natural bond," Raven said. "Trust him, Starfire needs help."

"Very well then, Highness," Shel'b said as she watched Raven fly to the door and go into the common room. She lifted off and grabbed Robin's raised arms and carried him out the now open window and up to the roof. They followed the sound of shouting, and Robin noticed that it was only one voice. Kalvane'r's.

They rounded one of the structures on the roof and stopped dead when they saw Kalvane'r holding Starfire's shoulders, pinning her to one of the air conditioning units while he floated slightly, making himself about a head taller than Starfire. Robin suddenly realized that Starfire seemed almost terrified of Kalvane'r, and that he wasn't shouting at her in Tamaranean, but another language that he didn't recognize until he caught one word. One that caused the blood to freeze in his veins, and Shel'b to gasp in shock.

"Robin," Shel'b said, surprised enough to call him by his normal name. "That is Gordanian Kalvane'r is speaking. I do not know the language, but recognize the sound of it."

"Let me go," Starfire demanded. "I will not. . . ." she began, but Kalvane'r cut her off.

Again Robin didn't recognize Kalvane'r's words, until he heard him say Citadel. He quickly drew one of his staffs and threw it without extending it. "She told you to let her go," he said when Kalvane'r was staggered by the impact of the staff striking his head. Robin's eyes widened when he saw Kalvane'r's left hand snap forward, the handle of a whip clenched in his hand. Dodging quickly to one side, he threw a birdarang in response.

Robin may have moved quickly enough, however, Shel'b did not. The whip wrapped around her right arm, and Robin heard both the crackle of electricity and the redhead's scream of pain, as the charge slammed into her and she crumpled to the ground with a groan.

Robin's birdarang flew true slicing through the whip just above the handle. Kalvane'r cried out in pain as the weapon shorted out, sending a jolt of electricity back into his own arm. Fighting the pain, Kalvane'r drew a dagger and prepared to throw it.

He didn't get the chance.

"Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" Robin heard Raven chant, and Kalvane'r was surrounded by dark energy and slammed into the other air conditioning unit. He watched as Kim'r and Mik'l grabbed a hold of him when Raven released him.

"Shel'b!" Chr's exclaimed as he went over to where she lay, and Robin quickly crossed over to where Starfire had sunk to the ground.

"Starfire," he said as he knelt beside where she sat on the roof, her back propped against the structure. "Star?" he called again when all she did was stare blankly at the ground. "Kori, shu vata serena. Che Gordanians vata naf neru."

Robin almost sighed in relief when his voice, telling her she was safe, seemed to reach her, but his mentioning of the Gordanians, even though it was to tell her that they weren't there drew even more of a response from her. He heard her gasp his name as she wrapped him in a tight hug. His arms went around her in reflex. He could feel her trembling in his arms. He was stunned at the images that flared in his mind as their position brought Starfire's crystal close to her. The first being her standing at the top of the ramp of Trogaar's shuttle, watching the hatch close on what she thought would be her last view of Tamaran. A scene where a Gordanian stood in front of her, an electro lash held in it's hand and the ensuing pain from the weapon being used on her.

After several other such scenes passed through, Robin sat back on his heels, his hands framing Starfire's face. "My God, Star, I didn't know."

"With our bond, how could you not?"

Robin swallowed, still almost overwhelmed at the revelation he had just had. "I knew some of it, Kori, but not in that much detail. I figured that if you wanted me to know that you'd tell me, or ask me to look myself. I respect you and your personal privacy too much to simply go searching through your mind."

"I was hoping that you would be more curious, and find it anyway. Robin, he means to return me to Trogaar! To. . . ."

"I know, Kori," Robin said pulling her back into a comforting hug. "You're not going anywhere. That I promise you."

"She will have no choice," Kalvane'r said. "She remembers the agreement that surrendered her to the Citadel through the Gordanians. She will go in order to ensure that peace."

"That is where you are wrong, Kalvane'r," Galfore said. "The Gordanian High council has determined that Trogaar was responsible for Koriand'r's escape. In their eyes, we kept our side of the agreement. Trogaar has been rouge since she escaped."

Robin stood as Starfire did, and he could feel her anger and confidence returning. "Kim'r, contact the ROHA'N and put the fleet on alert. Sister, please notify Jemidar Kor'mel of circumstances, and tell him that I am requesting his assistance in a possible attack of Earth by either Trogaar himself, or Gordane."

I've already done that, Starfire. Kor'mel assures me that you have his full support. There are two more warships on their way here."

"What I'd like to know is how a Tamaranean warrior knew how to get in contact with Trogaar?" Cyborg asked.

"It is a plan that has been in place for a long time. Even longer than I can remember," Kalvane'r said.

"Sister?" Starfire asked when Blackfire gasped.

"Yes, Princess, you plans will bear fruit," Kalvane'r said triumphantly. "Your rising to the throne will be assured with her return to the Citadel."

Blackfire grabbed the front of Kalvane'r's tunic and lifted him off the ground. "Those plans were destroyed and canceled! This was not to be done!"

"Blackfire, put him down," Robin said. He gazed coolly back at her violet glowing eyes. "When were those plans destroyed?"

Blackfire glared at Kalvane'r as she lowered him to the ground, then looked over at Starfire. "Right after I was exiled from Tamaran. When I learned that she had turned the throne over to Galfore, I realized that having her taken by Trogaar would only serve to turn the rest of our people against me." Robin watched as she took a few steps away from Kalvane'r. "And, in all honesty, I wanted to be the one to exact my revenge on both you and Kori, Robin."

"Is there a way that you can get in contact with Trogaar, and call things off, Jemara?" Starfire asked, her voice almost emotionless.

"No," Kalvane'r said before Blackfire could answer. "The plan now in motion was set up by my father. Komand'r had nothing to do with it, and he will not listen to her," he looked over at Blackfire. "He has been told of your loss of determination as far as Koriand'r is concerned."

"Then we prepare for battle," Kim'r said.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was a few hours later, and Robin turned from throwing peanuts to some squirrels in Starfire's garden when he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

"Captain Kim'r, reporting as ordered, Highness," she said, standing at attention and saluting.

Robin sighed as he returned the salute. "I thought I told Chr's to tell you that I was asking to see you as Robin of Earth, not as Rob'n Prince of Tamaran."

"That is the way that Chr's passed on your summons, Highness, but I am also here to deliver a message from Galfore."

"A reply from the Gordanians?"

Kim'r nodded. "They assure us that Koriand'r's escape from Trogaar does not rescind the treaties and truces her being taken sealed. They do not fault Tamaran for Trogaar's incompetence."

"Starfire will be glad to hear that."

"Something else you should know is that they thank us for our efforts to capture Trogaar, and are sending two ships to assist us in that."

"I'm not sure I like that."

"Neither does Galfore or the Ca'ri, but Trogaar is Gordanian, and they are only protecting one of their citizens."

Robin's comment was cut off when one of the two squirrels he had been tossing nuts too, found one that had been missed. Now both squirrels were racing along the ground, then up and down the trunks of the nearby trees. He realized that it had been quite a while since he had heard Kim'r laugh.

"I thank you for having our meeting here, Robin. Koriand'r has told me much about this gift of yours to her, but this is my first time seeing it in the daylight." Robin saw the appreciation in her eyes as she looked around. "It is obvious that she has her mother's touch with plants."

"Kim'r, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Kim'r gave Robin a nervous smile, "I am hoping that your calling me by name instead of rank is a hopeful sign."

"That will depend on whether or not you accept my apology."

"What is it that you have to apologize to me for?"

"Kim'r, Galfore has talked to me, and I've done some checking into things. My apology is for two things. First for doubting your trust in me, when I interrupted Galfore's challenge to Nie'l for the throne. I know now that it was the documents that you questioned, not me. Secondly, it's for not having this talk with you sooner."

"Robin, you have had much on your mind since then. To be honest I have seen how closely you guard your trust, honesty, and honor," Kim'r said, then smiled softly. "Very much like two sisters that I know." Robin joined in her chuckle at that comment, then they both fell silent for a moment before Kim'r spoke again. "I also bring a request from the Ca'ri."

"What does Chancellor Kova'n ask of me?"

"He respectfully asks that you convince Koriand'r to remain aboard the flagship during the encounter with the Gordanians."

"Kim'r, she told me once before that I had no right to keep her from a fight that I was going to fight myself. She was right then, and she'd be right now." Robin watched as Kim'r grew nervous again and refused to meet his gaze. "What else is it?"

"Kova'n, Galfore, and myself have all agreed that you should also remain aboard the ROHA'N," she said then hurried on when she saw he was about to object. "Robin, if this a deception on the Gordanian's part, and they are working with Trogaar, nothing would please them more than to get their hands on both you and Koriand'r. We are simply trying to prevent them from getting the opportunity."

Robin cupped a rose blossom in his hand and bent his head to inhale the heady fragrance. "Until a few hours ago, you might have convinced me to stay aboard the ROHA'N and talk Starfire into doing the same, but it's a matter of honor with her, and now with me. Trogaar has much to pay for."

"Highness. . . . .Robin, I agree that with what she had been through while his prisoner that he owes Koriand'r a large debt of honor, and as she is now your aduna that extends to you, but please, this may be a plot to recapture her, and capture you." Kim'r was silent for a moment, then looked over at Robin with sudden realization. "Robin, your reasons for not stopping her and not going yourself may convince the other Titans, but they do not work with me."

"You can say that after what Trogaar did to her?"

"No offense, Robin, but you are not Tamaranean. You have been accepted as a warrior, and in many ways, your ways of thinking are like ours, but even one of us would not insist on this course, even with the slight to your aduna's honor."

Robin blinked when he realized that, for the second time, Kim'r referred to Starfire and himself as aduna or life partner instead of bond mates. "So why do you think I'm not trying to stop her?"

"Because you know you can not. Either because you have tried and failed, or you feel it through your bond with her."

Now it was Robin's turn to look away in embarrassment. "Both actually. She insists that it's her place to lead her warriors to battle, especially this one. Then she reminded me that I am only her husband, while she is Empress. With my not being able to stop her, I'm **not** going to let her go without me at her side."

Kim'r nodded. "Thank you for your honesty, Robin. She can be hard to dissuade from a course of action once she has set her mind to it."

"Much like her sister, if I'm not mistaken."

Kim'r nodded as she chuckled. "Only not so. . . .ruthless."

"Lochevo lok'nevos! Che zechpa du fet venache!"

Robin and Kim'r both turned at the unexpected ranting in Tamaranean. They watched as Starfire touched down a few feet away, her back to them and oblivious to their presence. She continued to go on in that vein, and Robin realized that many of the words she was saying he didn't understand. He saw the bemused look on Kim'r's face and realized that Starfire was absolutely furious and cursing up a storm.

"Shu vata shesas i Zolwarg Tubek-Plixing Zordmorker," she continued, looking up to the sky. "Za kre tarkan pe kisarla krel co ne prevo shokala, kre vat turana erchana."

"My congratulations, Koriand'r," Kim'r said, stopping Starfire's tirade. "I have not heard such language since I put some Sybarian fire beetles in the tent of my training Commander when we were on field training exercises."

Robin ignored the startled gasp Starfire gave as she spun around. "Who thinks that you might want him as your first husband?" he asked, referring to her last sentence.

"Kalvane'r," Starfire spat. "He told me that he would contact Trogaar and call off the meeting if I would take him not only as my husband, but as my primary husband."

Kim'r saw not only the anger on Robin's face, but also the confusion. "Koriand'r is of the Royal Family," she said. "As such, she may be required to marry for reasons of state, possibly more than once. It would be her choice to name one of them her primary husband, meaning the one she, for lack of a better term, loves the most. He would be the one to receive her. . . .attention, that she. . . ."

"Right. Got it," Robin said, cutting her off. He looked over at Starfire who was still seething in anger, and blushing at being caught speaking like she had been. "Re'ik be co'nika?"

"Let it lay, Robin," Kim'r chuckled as Starfire blushed even more. "I will provide you with a listing of our more. . . . .colorful language if you wish." She watched as Robin crossed over to where Starfire was standing before a large flowering shrub. She held her breath for a moment as he put his hands on her shoulders, knowing just how volatile Starfire or any other Tamaranean could be when in the emotional state the Empress was in now. She sighed with relief when she saw the tension drain from Starfire when Robin spoke softly to her.

"I've seen her this angry before, Kim'r," Robin said. He looked back over his shoulder at her. "It was even at me, and just a few days after she had returned from Tamaran."

"I had good reason," Starfire protested, then smiled shyly. "Or so I thought."

"May I ask what happened?" Kim'r was mildly surprised when Robin looked over at Starfire who nodded. She didn't think that he would have asked her permission for anything.

"As I said it was a few days after Starfire had returned from Tamaran. There is a holiday here on Earth that is special for couples that are romantically attached. It's called Valentines Day."

"In celebration, Robin had set up a special dinner for two on the roof of the Tower," Starfire picked up. She hugged Robin's upper arm as she spoke. "With the full moon and the stars it was very romantic indeed."

"And for that you got angry with him?"

Robin smiled as he saw Starfire blushing slightly. "No, it was the bouquet of roses that I gave her after the meal that caused the trouble," he said. "To be honest it was where I had gotten them that was the problem."

Kim'r quickly put two and two together. "Oh no, Robin you did not, did you?"

Robin looked to his right for a moment, then back to his left. "They were from that bush over there," he said, indicating a large rose bush that was flowering profusely. "Lets say that she was less than pleased the I had, to use her words, invaded and defiled **her** garden."

"Robin, with what she has told me of this garden, I am not surprised at her reaction. To be honest I am surprised that you escaped the incident without injury."

"He did only because he quickly told me the significance of roses in Earth culture," Starfire said.

"Red roses in particular, mathad," Robin said giving her a warm look. "Here roses have special meanings, depending on color. Red roses say 'I love you' and also stand for respect and courage, both of which I share with Starfire."

"After I learned that I could not remain angry with him."

Kim'r smiled at the couple. "Koriand'r, you would not remain angry at him for long, no matter what the circumstances." She sighed softly, her expression growing serious again. "I appeal to you both to reconsider your participating in the fighter cover during the confrontation with Trogaar."

"I am sorry, Captain, but my mind is made up. I will see him turned over to the Gordanian High Council and punished for what he had done to me."

Kim'r shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Very well, my Lady. I see that I can not dissuade your form this, and I know better than to try to keep Robin from your side in battle. I pray that X'Hal will look after you both.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 34

"Launch time in one hour," a voice said over the public announcement system on the ROHA'N. "All ships are taking their positions, and will be ready to launch at that time."

Starfire giggled softly, as she and Robin walked over to where Kim'r stood looking out a view port. Robin noticed that her fingers kept tapping against the hilt of her sword. "You were never very good at waiting for the battle to begin, Kim'r."

"No, I guess I have not, my Lady," she said, turning to face them. "I see that you have not changed your minds, on joining the squadrons." She held up a hand, cutting off Starfire's comments. "I know, Koriand'r, you have a debt to settle with Trogaar, but we will not be punishing him, but simply turning him over,for transport back to Gordane."

"Star, maybe she's right," Robin said. "Just being on the flagship will be enough to say that you had a part in his capture."

"You may remain here, if you wish, Robin, but I **will** see Trogaar in the manner he had me several times. Shackled, and with a control collar. I also remind you, that I would not try to dissuade you from going after Slade."

They both watched as Starfire strode angrily away. "I thank you for trying, Rob'n," Kim'r said. "You were correct, in that she would use your. . . . .feelings for Slade against you."

"You're the only one, outside the Titans, that understands those," Robin said. "She left out one thing though. I'm going to be at her side when she faces Trogaar, just as she would be at mine, facing Slade.

They fell silent as they watched a group of bright dots slip behind the moon. Half of the fleet was using the moon to shield them from Trogaar's sensors, while the other half used the Earth. The only vessels he would see would be the ROHA'N and the SOMOR'O until it would be to late for him to escape.

"Highness, all preparations of your ship have been completed," Chr's said as he and Shel'b walked up.

Robin returned their salute, then glanced over at Kim'r. "Captain, could you use a couple more pilots?"

"In a situation like this, Rob'n, no squadron commander would turn down such an offer."

"Chr's, Shel'b, go prep your ships. You'll be joining Kim'r's squadron."

"Robin, are you serious?" Shel'b asked, first to get over her surprise, and find her voice.

"He is, and I can think of no other set of eyes to help keep watch of him and Koriand'r."

"So, she did not listen?" Shel'b asked.

"You blame this on the Empress?"

"Yes, my husband. Rob'n does not have a score to settle with Trogaar, while Koriand'r does. He is only going out there to safeguard her. By the way, Highness, I wish to thank you for this."

Robin watched, as Shel'b drew her sword. He recognized it as the one he had presented to her, at her Reaffirmation Ceremony. He recognized the design on the disk where the warriors family crest was. The design of a stooping bird of prey was most prominent, as it was Shel'b's family crest, but slightly above it on the left was the stylized 'R' that became Robin's crest. To the right, was the Imperial crest. Below it was an engraving of Titans Tower on its island.

"I'd like to take the credit, Shel'b, but I only presented it to you," Robin said, then looked over at Chr's.

"I had it commissioned just barely in time for the ceremony," Chr's said. "They each represent, your service to the Imperial Family, as a member of Robin's Guard, when he was Koriand'r's shalocfa, and as a member of the Titans."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I thought I was the impulsive, selfish one."

Starfire straightened up from where she was leaning against the front landing strut of her fighter. "It appears that trait has bred true to all Myand'r's children, sister, and I have also picked up his habit of speaking without thinking. I know Robin is thinking only of my safety, but he also realizes my feelings toward Trogaar. Why are you here? I would think that you would be aboard the TAMAR."

"I'm acting as a liaison between Kor'mel and Admiral Mer'l," Blackfire replied, then her expression hardened. "Do you realize how stupid and stubborn you're being? There is no reason for you to be out there."

"So, Galfore, Kim'r, and Robin, have asked you to try to talk me out of going out there."

"No, Starfire. I'm here on the behalf of a certain eleven year old boy, who does not want to lose another mother, and possibly his father." Blackfire looked toward the launch tube. "Give me a good reason, Kori. Something more than how you want to see Trogaar in chains."

"You would not understand."

"I would not understand what? Being shackled? Wearing a control collar? Feeling the burn of the electro lash? You know better than that, Starfire."

"For what, two, maybe three weeks? Thanks to you, sister, they had me for a year. I cannot understand why Nie'l's appeal to you worked so well. You likely celebrated after mother and father's remembrance ceremony. With me on my way to the Citadel, their deaths left you an open path to the throne. Your rule sealed with the death of Ryand'r, our brother. At least I am not a manipulative gremplork that plays with others lives. How long will it be before Kor'mel pays for your desire for power?"

There was a crack like a pistol shot, and Blackfire's hand print was clearly visible on Starfire's cheek. "Be grateful that you are my sister, or I would kill you where you stand for that."

"You are welcome to try, sister," Starfire said, warming up her star bolts and taking a defensive stance.

Blackfire warmed up her star bolts as well, and the two sisters glared at each other for a moment.

"Koriand'r, Komand'r, covatchu! Vata shu betha lune?"

Both sisters cooled their bolts, but continued to glare at each other.

"Well answer him," Robin said, as he and Galfore walked over to them. "Have you both gone insane?"

"For once, I can honestly say that she started it," Blackfire said. She looked back at Starfire in curiosity. "What did Kalvane'r say to you, Kori?"

"That you gave the order to have the SOMOR'O's engines sabotaged. He also told me that you gave the Gordanians the location and course of the NARSI'L."

Blackfire's face showed her surprise. "The SOMOR'O's destruction was an accident. I had nothing to do with it," she said. "As for the NARSI'L, I didn't know where it was. All I knew, was that it was on a reconnaissance mission. Is that what he told you, that I was responsible for the deaths of our family?"

This time it was Starfire's turn to look away, and she put a hand up to the wing of her fighter to steady herself.

"Blackfire, do you speak Gordanian?" Robin asked, and she nodded. He looked over at Starfire, and felt her mental nod to him. He cleared his throat and spoke a series of sentences in Gordanian. "That's what he said to her," he said when he finished. "Blackfire what did he say?"

"Tell him, my sister," Starfire said softly.

Blackfire blinked a couple of times, shaking off her shock at what she heard. "He told her that he had proof that I was responsible for the deaths of our parents, and brother, and for the sabotage that was done to the engines of the VILTHURI'L," Blackfire said. "He told her, that if she went peacefully with Trogaar, that he'd destroy it, but only when she had been delivered to the Citadel."

"Star? What were you going to. . . .?" Robin began.

"I was going to use this remote to shut down your ships systems. You would have life support, but would be unable to stop me."

"You would prefer to see the proof to convict the murderer of your family destroyed?"

"No, Galfore, that's not it," Robin said. "She knows that the evidence was false."

"I investigated the disaster of the VILTHURI'L," Starfire said. "The engines were sabotaged, but at Komane'r's order, not my sister's. In the documents that Batman discovered, was the proof that Komane'r was responsible for the SOMOR'O and NARSI'L's destruction as well. I could not let Koma be charged with false evidence. Evidence I had no way to dispute."

Blackfire put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "So you were going to go into slavery at the Citadel, to save me?"

"I did not say that I would stay there, sister."

Blackfire drew her sister into a hug. "I don't doubt that, Kori, but I have my own proof that I didn't kill our family. I just didn't know who did."

"She has to be out there now," Galfore said. "Trogaar will be expecting her to meet his ship when he arrives."

"He won't be expecting the rest of us," Robin said coldly.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"All ships, this is ROHA'N control, scanners are picking up compression of graviton particles at the expected coordinates. Readings indicate imminent arrival of ships from hyperspace."

"All fighters, this is Strike Captain Kim'r, ensure all targeting systems are off, and stand by. Radio silence begins now."

"Where are the two ships that were supposed to join us?" Galfore mussed, as he paced behind the command chair on the ROHAN'S bridge.

"Scanners indicate three ships exiting from jump," the warrior at the scanning post reported. "I repeat, three ships, not just one."

"X'Hal no!" Nie'l gasped. "It is a trap!"

"Steady, my Lord," Galfore said. "Class identification, and are any of the ships sending the recognition code?"

"Identify one SELAS class ship, and two KLAVER," the scanning officer reported. "We have positive ident on the SELAS ship as being the SHRASS. The two KLAVER are sending the recognition code, and show as being the POJOR and the VANDER. No indication of weapons, or targeting systems, being activated."

"So Trogaar is here," Admiral Mer'l said. "The SHRASS is his ship."

"Trogaar, I am here, as agreed," Starfire's voice said over the speakers.

"So I see," Trogaar's voice replied after a few moments of tense silence. "I also see that you kept to your bargain, and no other ships are in the system. I am curious as to their location, they are not on their regular patrol routes."

"You do not expect me to discuss our fleet assignments with you, do you?"

"There are a great many things we will discuss, peta jevo, and you will discuss them freely."

"Admiral, all three ships have activated their targeting systems and armed weapons," the scanning officer reported. "They are also launching fighters." He was silent for a moment as he studied his readouts. "Sir! They are all targeting the Empress's fighter!"

Starfire didn't need a report from the ROHA'N to know she was being targeted. The tone of the weapons lock filled her cockpit. "Trogaar, I was to be captured and taken to the Citadel," she said. "Why have you locked you weapons on me?"

"You will land your ship aboard the SHRASS, or you will be destroyed."

Starfire swallowed nervously. She knew that the other two ships were supposed to be there to take charge of Trogaar, and return him to Gordane in chains to face charges, but she was well aware that they, too, had her in their sights.

She almost sighed in relief when she heard four clicks in her headphones. The signal that the trap was about to be sprung. _'Robin, take evasive action. . . .now,'_ She sent through their bond, then twisted her ship to her left, away from Robin, and jammed her throttle fully open.

Robin broke right, and saw a bright red spear of light flash through the space Starfire's ship had just occupied.

"Shovakana a hifa!" Kim'r's voice shouted over the channel, calling the warriors to battle.

Robin concentrated on making his ship fly anything but a straight and level course. He worked his controls jerking left, right up and down in addition to varying his speed. So far it had worked in keeping the Gordanian gunners from hitting him. He was surprised when the ships suddenly stopped firing.

A quick glance at his scanner showed him why. "They must have all launched fighters," he muttered as he saw the wall of blips on his screen. Far to many to be from one ship. Then he noticed that the majority of the blips were green. "Starfire!" he called. "You've got one on your tail! Break right!"

He watched as Starfire's ship jerked to the right and the Gordanian fighter tried to follow. It might have done it, except Robin's lasers blew it to bits.

Starfire's ship continued its hard right turn, and Robin was surprised when her lasers lashed out. "I thought I would return the favor," she said, as the ship that was falling in behind Robin became a cloud of superheated gas.

"Right. Just remember some of these are supposed to be on our side," Robin said. "What do you say to showing them we're not to be underestimated?"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Remember, the slip fighters that show up in blue on your scanners are Kor'mel's," Kim'r reminded the other squadrons. "The ones in red, are Trogaar's, and the green ones, are our Gordanian allies."

"Strike Captain, this is Titan one. We have a problem here," Robin's voice called. "I've got enemy fighters at all neutral vectors, and closing."

"Copy, Titan one. Help is on the way," Kim'r replied.

"They are herding them," Shel'b said as she watched the spherical formation of ships around Starfire and Robin's. The only opening they were left with, was toward the SHRASS.

"Niko'l, you are my wing. Shel'b, Chr's, you are with us," Kim'r ordered. "Cora'n, you are in charge here. We are going to ruin their formation."

"Understood, Strike Captain."

"Looks like Rob'n and Koriand'r are working on ruining their formation themselves," Chr's commented.

They watched as Robin's ship maintained its direction of travel, but swiveled around so it was now facing the closest pursuing Gordanian. A pair of missiles took care of that ship, and a quick attitude adjustment and a laser blast took care of another.

"I see he has been instructed by you, Shel'b," Kim'r said.

"Unfortunately, Koriand'r did not listen as closely," Chr's said, as he watched Starfire's ship.

Starfire had fallen in behind a fighter, and while she was firing, two others came up behind her.

"Starfire! Break right!" Robin shouted.

"No, Starfire, break left!" Kim'r countered.

With the tone of a weapons lock filling her cockpit, Starfire knew she had a split second to choose between the two. She chose neither, and slammed her control stick to its forward stop, taking her ship sharply down.

Ten ships fired simultaneously.

Each of the Gordanian slip fighters, above, below, to the left, right, and behind Starfire's ship fired, all but one scoring a clean miss. The one below Starfire's flight path scored a direct hit.

"Those weren't lasers," Robin said, seeing the pale blue beams of charged particle blasts. Sparks, like lightening, swarmed over Starfire's ship, and it started slowly tumbling in space, completely without power.

Robin's shot took out the ship that was behind Starfire's, Kim'r's took out the one to the left, Chr's, the one to the right, Niko'l, the one above, and Shel'b, the one below.

"What in the world is that?" Robin asked, as a bright blue beam came from one of the Gordanian ship POJOR.

"Tractor beam," Kim'r replied. "They are pulling her ship over to their landing bay."

"Robin, no!" Shel'b called, as she saw his ship turn and streak toward where the beam originated. She knew that he didn't know that there was more than one emitter for that type of beam.

Shel'b was correct in her thoughts, and when the new beam caught his ship, it stopped it instantly. The sudden stop slammed Robin against his restraints, and one of the straps parted under the strain. His head striking the control panel was the last thought he had before everything went black.

"All ships, this is the ROHA'N," Galfore's voice said over the radio. "Break off, and return to your ships. Authentication code, one five hepal ve'cha."

No sooner had Galfore stopped talking, than the slip fighters from the other two ships started firing on the fighters from the SHRASS, as did the two KLAVER class ships.

"The SHRASS has just surrendered to the POJOR," Galfore's voice reported.

"What of Robin and Starfire?"

Galfore turned from the communications station. "They have been taken aboard the POJOR, Titan Cyborg. I pray to X'Hal that this was not a trick by the Gordanians to capture them."

"And if it was?"

Galfore looked worriedly at the forward screen, still showing the tactical display. "Then it was successful, Titan Beast Boy. There is no way to mount a rescue attempt now."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 35

Robin woke slowly, and when he went to put a hand to his throbbing head, he almost knocked himself out again. "No," he said softly, as he looked at his arms and hands. From just below his elbows they were encased in metal. _'Gordanian shackles,'_ he thought. "So it was a trap, and we walked right into it."

Suddenly, he realized that while his thoughts were on Starfire, he didn't feel her through their bond. Even if she was unconscious, he would at least have a sense of where she was. The answer to that was given when he turned his head to look around the room. Starfire was sprawled out on the floor just a few feet away. "Star?" he called softly, then managed to kneel beside her. He lowered his head so his face was just inches from hers, and he sighed with relief when he felt the currents of her breathing against his cheek.

Robin sat back on his heels and thought about their situation. They were aboard a Gordanian ship, shackled, and Starfire, at least, had a control collar on. One thing that worried him was that Starfire was still unconscious. Normally, she and Raven were the first of the team to recover from an attack. He knew that she had been knocked out by the after effects of her ship being hit by that particle blast, so it must have really hurt her for her to still be out.

Mentally cursing the fact that he couldn't use his hands, he managed to get Starfire on her back with her head and shoulders supported in his lap. "Come on, Kori, wake up." His anxiety eased a little when she took a deeper breath, then moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open.

"Where. . . .? Robin?" Starfire said groggily as she woke. "X'Hal, no!" she gasped when she realized that she was shackled. Her eyes widened in fear as she tried to use her alien strength to break free, and heard the warning crackle of her control collar.

"Starfire calm down," Robin urged as he managed to hold her tightly. Even without the crystal, he could feel her fear that bordered on terror. "Come on, Star, get a grip. Find your center. Slow your breathing."

Starfire's eyes were now squeezed shut and she nodded as she remembered Raven's teachings in meditation. "Shalay'fa."

"Good, Star," Robin urged. "Remember what she taught you. Use that to calm yourself. You're not alone this time, and we will get out of here."

Starfire nodded, as she forced her self to think calmly. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. "Our bond! It has been broken!"

"Easy Star. I think my crystal might have been broken when I hit my control panel. Are you alright?"

Starfire saw the concern on Robin's face as she groaned as she stood up, and she knew that his worry deepened as she swayed slightly on her feet. "I. . . will be," she said painfully. "Whatever weapon it was that my ship was hit with caused all my systems to overload. Electricity arced from one side of my cockpit to the other, and several of the bolts hit me."

Robin's eyes widened as he realized just how much power had coursed through Starfire's body then. "No wonder you were out for so long." His fingers went to several discolored spots on her wrist guard, and he now noticed several on her neck piece. "Star, I know this is going to sound weird, but I need you to hit me."

"Robin, are you certain that you did not hit your head too hard before, or is this some attempt to make a joke?"

"I'm serious, Star. I need you to hit me on the right side of my jaw. Even without your alien strength, you should be able to hit hard enough."

"Robin, I have told you before that I simply can not hit you for no reason."

"Well if you had listened to me before, you wouldn't have been out there, and we wouldn't have been captured," Robin said, raising his voice slightly. He knew it had the effect he wanted when he saw the confusion and hurt that crossed Starfire's face was replaced by anger.

"So you are saying that it is my fault that we are here? You could have remained aboard the ROHA'N."

"And leave you out there alone? Without someone to look after you? No chance."

"Looked after?!" she demanded taking a menacing step toward him.

Robin knew he was going to regret his next statement, in more ways than one. "Maybe Blackfire was right, you are too much of a goody two shoes."

"Rrrrraahh!" Starfire shouted as she swung her manacled hands. They connected solidly with the right side of Robin's face, knocking him halfway back across the room. "You will apologize for that insult, ruthasha!"

Robin picked himself up off the floor, and kept his hands down as he faced her. "Sorry, Starfire. I really didn't mean it."

Starfire's anger vanished, when she saw him spit out several white chips. "Robin, I. . . ."

"It's alright, Star. I simply underestimated how hard you can hit, even when you aren't using your powers."

"Why. . . .why did you do that? Why did you make me do that?"

Robin crossed over to her, and lowered his voice. "Let's just say that when you're in Gotham, doing what I was, you leave nothing to chance. The tooth you just broke wasn't real. It was a covering for a tracking transmitter." He saw the understanding in her eyes and sighed. "Bruce knows where I am, and that I'm in trouble."

"As Raven knows about me."

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"Raven, what is it?" Beast Boy asked, drawing a questioning look from Cyborg.

"It's Starfire. She's alright," Raven replied. "She's scared, but keeping that under control, and Robin's with her."

"What about your bond with Robin?" Cyborg asked.

"He's concentrating on their situation, and how to get out of it, too much for me to even read him. I can track Starfire, but not him right now."

"I can take care of that," a deep voice said from behind them.

Almost everyone on the bridge turned to look at the source. Batman entered first, followed by the rest of the Justice League.

"He activated a tracking device a few minutes ago," Batman said holding up a small device. "I can tell he's alive, because I'm also receiving his heart rate with the locater beacon.."

"Can you link that to our scanning systems?" Galfore asked.

Batman handed the device over to the warrior manning the scanning station, and they conferred for a moment.

"My Lord, I have pinpointed the location of the beacon, and overlayed it with a schematic of the POJOR." the warrior announced.

"On main viewer," Galfore ordered.

The view of the three Gordanian ships wavered a moment, and was replaced by a cut away view of the PAJOR with a blinking dot. Galfore grunted, and several of the warriors groaned softly in dismay when they saw it.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Superman asked.

Galfore pointed at where the dot was blinking almost in the center of the POJOR.

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"This is most likely a primary holding cell," Starfire said in reply to Robin's question. "Even if we were not shackled and collared, we would not be able to escape. These cells are deep inside the vessel."

Robin saw the helplessness in Starfire's posture and expression. "If it's any help, you were being pulled toward the POJOR, not the SHRASS."

"That may be good news," Starfire said. "Trogaar will not lower himself to come to me. He will have us taken through the ship, in plain sight. An example to the other slaves aboard. That process will be repeated aboard the SHRASS as we are brought to the bridge."

"So our best chance at escape is at either the launch bay or landing bay?"

Starfire nodded. "Robin, with these on, neither of us can operate the controls of any type of ship," she said, holding up her shackled hands.

"Star, if you get the chance, I want you to get away," Robin said, then rushed on seeing she was about to protest. "You're the one the Gordanians want. You're the one they failed to present to the Citadel. Trogaar just wants me for personal revenge."

"I will not leave you behind at the mercy of these beings," Starfire said, the word mercy heavy with sarcasm.

Further conversation was cut off, as there was a loud clunk at the door, then it slowly slid open. A Gordanian entered the cell, his expression almost happy as he looked over his prisoners.

"We were to be guests aboard this ship, to confirm Trogaar's capture," Starfire said defiantly. "These are an insult."

"Nevertheless, they remain, peta jevo. Trogaar awaits your presence." The Gordanian said, and chuckled evilly as Starfire's face drained of color at what he called her. "Yes, little Koriand'r, you know me. Now move."

For the first few steps, Starfire meekly complied with the order, then she slowed her steps, her back straightening.

"Your defiance will not be tolerated, peta jevo," the Gordanian said, and shoved Starfire forward.

"Keep your hands off her!" Robin shouted, as he managed to slam a kick into the Gordanian's back. It staggered him for a moment, then he swept Robin away with a backhand smack.

"Enough of this!" he shouted as he touched a control on his wrist. Instantly the room was filled with the warning crackle of the control collars.

"Robin?"

"I'm alright, Star," he replied, and fell in alongside her as they went out into the corridor. "Who is he, Star? How do you know him, and what is that he called you?"

There was silence for a few moments. "Are you not going to answer him on your own, peta jevo, or do I have need to convince you?"

Robin was stunned at the look of almost pure hatred on Starfire's face as she glared back at the Gordanian. "He is Falgaar," she said. "When I was aboard the SHRASS he was Trogaar's second in command, and in charge of my. . . . .conditioning."

"And the rest, peta jevo," Falgaar prompted. "You know your answers must be compete."

"Peta jevo is the Gordanian equivalent of little cat," Starfire continued. "I was labeled with that as a reminder that there was nothing I could do to escape. That aboard the SHRASS I was a helpless as a kitten."

After that they walked on in silence, and even without his crystal he could feel Starfire's spirit starting to droop. He noticed that they had stopped, as Falgaar opened a hatch that lead to a large air lock. "Estrella, estamos cerca de la bahía del lanzamiento. Ahora está nuestra ocasión."

Starfire looked up and saw that Robin was right. They were near the launch bay, and this would be their best chance. She was also glad that he had taken the time to teacher her Spanish.

"Enough talking!" Falgaar snapped. "Oh yes, there is another who will be joining you on your visit to Trogaar."

Robin and Starfire turned as a door slid open.

"You!" Starfire gasped. "So, you betray me again, sister?"

"Kori, it's. . . . ."

Blackfire didn't get to finish her statement, as Starfire quickly brought her manacled hands down on the back of the head of the guard in front of her. Robin reacted quickly and did the same to the one in front of him. Robin's kick to the guard behind him, and Starfire's kick to Falgaar were almost simultaneous, and they went down in a heap. Robin continued with his momentum and his leg sweep knocked Blackfire's feet from under her, and she landed on her back. Starfire's kick to her sister's jaw made sure she stayed there.

"This way," Robin said as he took the lead, and they ran down the corridor. A short distance down they turned down another corridor, and Robin quickly ducked into a room, and dragged Starfire with him.

"Robin, we must not stay here. The collars have tracking devices," Starfire said in a rush, then looked at Robin as he was gathering up his cape on the right side. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us out of here," he replied as he reached the corner of his cape. He pinned the garment against the wall with his shackles, and Starfire heard the soft sound of ripping material. She gasped softly when he straightened up, holding a lock pick in his teeth. "Now then," he said around the pick handle, and he brought his hands up so he could work on the lock.

Starfire chewed on her bottom lip, and kept looking at the door nervously. She jumped when Robin gave a small triumphant shout, as his shackles fell to the floor.

"Your turn, Kori," he said, then went to work on hers. In almost a replay of when they first met, Starfire's shackles came free, and she drew him into a hug. Robin gave in to the temptation, and returned the embrace for a moment, then pulled away. "Now for your collar," he said, as he put the lock pick away and took out another tool from his utility belt. "I had time to study the one Nie'l wore," he told her as the device came off.

Almost instantly Starfire's hands and eyes glowed brightly green. "Now we will get out of here." She was just about to go through the door when she turned. "What of your collar?"

"I can fight without setting it off," he told her. "Besides, I don't think you could pick the lock without setting off the alarm, or the shock it gives if the lock is tampered with."

"You are correct. Without the key, I could not remove it without hurting you. But what if Falgaar uses his remote to set it off?"

Robin almost smiled when he caught sight of something on the shelf of the room they were in. "This must be a store room for stuff to repair their fighters with," he said as he took a roll of black material off the shelf. "Gasket material. It's made of rubber."

He quickly unrolled some and used a birdarang to cut it to the proper length. "It'll insulate me from the collar's shocks," he said as he slid it between his neck and the collar. "Now let's see if we can make our way to the launch bay, and steal a ship or two."

They left the room and headed down the corridor. "That must be my sister's ship," Starfire said as they entered the bay.

"Yes, it is, little sister. Yours and Robin's have been returned to the ROHA'N."

Starfire warmed up her star bolts as she turned, and Robin had birdarangs in one hand, and explosive disks in the other, ready to throw.

"Hold!" an authoritative voice called. "Again you show that you could not be held, Vidak'an Koriand'r."

Starfire cooled her star bolts, but remained in a defensive stance. "Robin, this is Telvaar, head of the Gordanian High Council. What are your plans?"

"To apologize for your treatment so far," Telvaar said. "The bargain we made will be kept. Falgaar overstepped himself when he ordered you shackled and collared." he stepped over to Robin and removed his collar. "And I believe these are yours."

Robin and Starfire looked at the items he held, dangling from their chains.

"Thank you," Robin said, stowing his weapons and taking both sets of crystals and medallions. He quickly sorted them out and gave Starfire hers.

"We have a shuttle waiting to take you to the SHRASS. We will be transferring Trogaar to the holding cells aboard the POJOR for transport to Gordane. I believe you wished to witness this."

"Thank you. It is a relief to see that some Gordanians have honor."

"To be honest, Empress, you are far too much trouble to try to hold on to. Taking you prisoner again would not be profitable," Telvaar said. "I was surprised at your companion, Empress. I had thought that Trogaar was exaggerating to cover his ineptitude, but I see that was not the case."

The hatch to the shuttle opened, and they went inside.

"Sister, I. . . ." Starfire began when she saw Blackfire sitting in one of the seats.

"It's alright, Kori. I was filled in on things. I know what you thought, but I also know why you thought it. If you did that while collared, it's no wonder you were able to to escape when it was removed."

"Jemara Komand'r is here representing the Salvainian Empire as an uninvolved third party," Telvaar said as the shuttle launched.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 36

Starfire and Robin stood as the shuttle they were on settled to the deck of the landing bay of the ROHA'N. Trogaar's being taken into custody had been very anti-climatic for the Tamaranean Empress. She had felt the initial thrill at seeing Trogaar with a control collar on, and shackled. She was slightly surprised to see the addition of leg shackles that were attached to his hand ones by a chain. What really surprised her was what Telvaar said.

"You will not be returning to Gordane, Trogaar," Telvaar announced. "The High Council has decided that since it was you who lost your cargo for the Citadel, that you will take her place. It is obvious that you can not take her assigned place, so you will be delivered to the labor pits on Orkun."

"What of his punishment for what was done to me?" Starfire had asked. The look that Telvaar gave her, almost caused her to shiver.

"You misunderstand something, Koriand'r. What Trogaar and his crew did to you was not wrong, it was what they were supposed to be doing. If he had been successful in delivering you, he would have been made a member of the High Council."

Starfire had been so stunned by that revelation that Telvaar had led Trogaar almost halfway down the corridor before she knew it. She shook herself from those thoughts, as she felt Robin's arm go around her waist.

"Sounds like we're expected," Robin commented as they reached the top of the ramp. The sound of an honor guard snapping to attention was clearly heard.

"Well, we are the current Royal couple," Starfire said, sliding her arm around Robin's waist and pulling him closer.

Chr's and Shel'b were at the head of the honor guard lined up at the bottom of the shuttle's ramp. Seeing Starfire and Robin approaching the top of the ramp, he called the detail to attention, and they brought their swords to present arms.

"What in X'Hal's name was that?" Shel'b gasped as something went past her in a blur. She noticed that the rest of the honor guard had seen it, as they had all turned towards the shuttle in various defensive postures. It took only a second for them to relax, and chuckle softly.

"Shamana, Shokata! Kovat X'Hal shu vata serana!" Nie'l cried as he knelt between where Robin and Starfire were now on their backs on the ramp. He had been the blur that passed between the two lines of the honor guard, his arms catching both of them at shoulder level, knocking them flat. He was now alternating between hugging first one then the other. "Pe tarkana shu vena sevana, bu ramare!"

"Nie'l, remember who you are," Starfire admonished softly while the youngster was giving Robin another hug. She saw the amusement on the faces of the crowd of warriors that filled the landing bay.

"He is, Star," Robin said over Nie'l's shoulder, as he returned the hug. "He's our son, and he's relieved that we're safe." He watched as Nie'l released him and wrapped Starfire in another hug. "I haven't felt him this happy in a long time."

"But he is the Emperor," Starfire pointed out.

"And if that means that I can not show affection for my parents, then I shall turn the throne over to Kim'r or Galfore."

"Nie'l! Do not even joke like that!" Starfire admonished.

"If I am Emperor, then I am allowed certain freedoms, and by X'Hal I will not restrain my affection for either of you."

"He has a point there, my Lady."

"Do not encourage him, Kim'r," Starfire said as she stood. "There is a certain decorum that must be observed."

"By an eleven year old? Even you were. . . . .unrestrained in your feelings at that age, my little bumgorf."

Robin chuckled as Starfire blushed at Galfore's comment.

"Besides, he speaks for all of us," Cyborg said, as he and the rest of the Titans walked up. "When we saw you both get pulled into the POJOR's landing bay, we didn't know what to think."

"Up to a point, neither did we," Robin said, taking Starfire's hand. He glanced over at Raven when he felt the mental nod of approval from her.

"I will admit, little sister, that it was actually a pleasure to see you fighting," Blackfire said as she and Kor'mel walked up. "Even if I was on the receiving end."

Kor'mel held up a hand, stilling Starfire's apologies. "We both understand why you acted as you did, Koriand'r."

"What happened over there?" Beast Boy asked, and Robin gave them a shortened version of what went on

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It was several hours later, and Starfire was not terribly happy with her handmaiden. "Kir'a, I demand to know why you have brought me here."

"I have been commanded not to tell you, my Lady. I was to simply bring you here, and leave," the youngster told her. "I apologize, my Lady, but I can tell you no more. I gave my word," she added then quickly ducked back out the door.

Instinctively Starfire tensed as the door slid shut, and she heard a noise from somewhere deeper in the arboretum of the ROHA'N. She well remembered the last time she hand been lead somewhere, then left by one of her handmaidens.

_'Relax, beloved, we are safe here, and very much alone,'_ Robin said through their bond.

"Robin?" she called softly, then her nose picked up a scent other than the perfume of the various flowers. She followed the path and soon found where Robin was waiting for her. A table stood in the small clearing, with two chairs and meal settings for two.

"I've got more than just chapena and samaku here," Robin said, and Starfire followed his gesture to the table which was loaded with food, as was the one beside it.

"Why such a feast, Robin? Do you intend to fill me with food so that I can not escape you?" she asked. Her mouth watered slightly as she went over to the table and recognized several Tamaranean dishes.

Robin smiled at the sultry look that Starfire gave him, and the playful tone of her voice. "That would only be necessary if you were really trying to escape," he said as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Let's just say that I've been given some hints, that I'm treating you too much like a commanding officer, and not enough like a husband should."

"And who has been making such claims?"

"Well, Galfore and Kim'r were subtle enough to simply tell me that it wouldn't take much for them to ensure that you and I would have some private time," Robin replied, "Chr's and Shel'b made it a point to inform me that they were taking some time to be alone. They said it was so they could observe some thing called the sivanar."

"That is our word for what you would call a honeymoon," Starfire explained. "I am surprised that Galfore was not more. . . .direct about something."

"I believe that Vern'a took his place there."

Starfire blushed as pulled back so she could see Robin's face. "She did not, did she?"

Robin smiled softly as Starfire's cheeks turned a deeper red as he nodded. "She flat out asked me when we were planning on working on producing an heir to the throne."

Starfire pulled out of Robin's arms and turned away, blushing fiercely. "Robin, I am sorry. They have no right to intrude."

"But they are right on two points. Much as you have tried to avoid it, you were the Crown Princess, the one to take the throne once you came of age. I knew that when I took the Oath with you. I also know that any children we have would be heirs to the throne. That gives them the right to not necessarily intrude, but be concerned."

"And the other point?"

Robin came up behind Starfire and put his arms around her waist. He used his chin to move her hair out of the way, then kissed just behind her ear. "Well, you do have to agree that we haven't had near enough time alone together."

Starfire knew that Robin felt her shiver from both the light kiss, and the feel of his breath against her neck. "But why such a feast? Meals such as this are usually prepared only for a celebration."

"Well, first off, it is a celebration," Robin replied, stepping from behind her, and pulling her chair out. "Of our getting off the POJOR and back to the ROHA'N. It's also because you haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday, and, thirdly, it's a warm up for tomorrow."

Starfire paused in putting some food on her plate and gave Robin a questioning glance. "Tomorrow?"

Robin saw that Starfire was confused as she stopped putting food on her plate. "You mean that you don't know what tomorrow is? I thought you were more than a little preoccupied."

Giving in to her hunger, Starfire put a chunk of food in her mouth and chewed slowly as her mind raced to figure out what Robin was talking about. "No. . . . .I do not know of any significance of tomorrow."

"Let's try this," he said, smiling softly. "According to the Tamaranean calender, tomorrow is the eighth day of Selvish." Robin's smile broadened as Starfire stopped chewing and swallowed as she realized what he was talking about.

"Oh, X'Hal! How could I have forgotten?! I have nothing to. . . ."

"It's okay, Star," he assured her. "It's going to be interesting to see how it's celebrated among your people."

"Robin, Tamaran does not have that many holidays," Starfire said. "Of all the ones to lose track of, Blorthog is not one I ever thought I would forget."

Robin hid his smile as he turned and put some food on his own plate. "Star, I talked with Kim'r, and Galfore," he said then held up a small pastry. "What is this?"

Starfire looked at the item, then took one from the platter and bit into it. "It is called gespal'tch," she answered. "It is very much like what you have told me is an egg roll."

Robin nodded and placed it on his plate along with some pranza sauce. "As I was saying, Galfore and Kim'r have assured me that they are taking care of all the necessary details. I've already gotten the gifts." He handed her a folded piece of paper. He placed some more food on his plate and began eating as she looked the list over.

Starfire sighed softly as she saw what gifts Robin had gathered to give their friends. "I see that you have included the other Titans in this list. You have reminded them of the day?"

"Actually, it was Beast Boy who reminded me. Nie'l will be leaving them little reminders outside their rooms later tonight."

"I am pleased that they accepted my invitation to remain aboard the ROHA'N," Starfire said, then glanced over at Robin. "Are you not concerned that there has been no criminal activity lately?"

Robin shook his head as he quickly swallowed the sip of xanefa he had just taken. "I'm not surprised by it," he said. "Slade and Red X are in jail, so I expect things will be quiet for a while."

Starfire looked down at her plate as she pushed some food around with her fork. "You do know that I will be testifying at Red X's trial, on his behalf?" She was surprised when she felt Robin's hand cover hers. She looked up and saw the soft smile he was giving her.

"Yes I know. I even agree with you." He was silent for a moment. "Kori, if he hadn't found you and taken you in, you would have died - both times. We both owe him for that."

"And for his helping Nie'l to find me."

Starfire almost laughed at the face Robin made. "Yeah, well the jury's still out on that."

"Would you rather that he had gone out on his own?"

"No," Robin admitted grudgingly. "That's one thing in his favor. That he kept his word and didn't run off on him."

Starfire looked over at a flowering shrub to her left. "Like you, he does have his honor," she said softly. She heard Robin's sigh, and knew that he thought that Red X was a darker version of himself. Through their bond, she was also aware that Robin was not yet comfortable with the relationship between herself and the free spirited thief.

She wasn't surprised at that, as she was uncertain of her feelings for Red X, herself. She knew that they would never be more than friends. _'How am I to balance that against his being a criminal and my being a Titan?'_

"Starfire?" Robin said, breaking her train of thought. "I've got something I want to ask you."

"As you have assured me in the past when I have made requests of you, any thing."

Starfire arched an eyebrow in curiosity when Robin grew nervous and not only shifted in his seat, but also swirled his fork around on his plate. "Well. . . . I know that our taking the Oath of Bonding is recognized on Tamaran as our being married."

"And on many other planets as well."

Robin nodded then swallowed nervously. "Would you consider marrying me according to Earth custom? It wouldn't be a big ceremony. Just the Titans, Galfore and Nie'l of course. . . . ."

Starfire stopped Robin's rambling by leaning forward and placing her index finger against his lips. "Robin, I would be honored," she assured him. "I may be the Empress of Tamaran, but I am not arrogant enough to not respect your customs."

Robin sighed in relief, and peeled off his mask. "In that case, I thank you, Miss Anders, for agreeing to become Mrs Richard Grayson."

"Miss Anders?"

"Yes," Robin said, smiling at her confusion. "Kori Anders. You know that away from Jump City and the Titans, I'm known as Richard, or Dick Grayson. For you to be part of that life you need an identity other than Starfire."

"So I will finally see that side of you that you have kept hidden for so long," Starfire said, the smiled brightly. "And I will have the secret identity."

"Yes, Star, you'll finally get to meet Alfred," he said, chuckling at her enthusiasm. "I'll be going to Gotham next month, anyway. I'll just stay a little longer."

"Robin?" Starfire called softly when she felt his mood go somber at his mentioning his trip to Gotham.

"It's nothing, Star. I'm fine."

"No,Robin, it is not nothing," she said, covering his hand with hers. "I did not realize that it had been a year since your last trip to Gotham."

Before Robin could speak, they both looked up when they heard a click from the speaker above them that was part of the ROHAN'S public address system.

"Good evening to all you couples out there. This is Derek, the Master of Romance on 92.5 KJMP. Our first request for the night comes from three of our fair city's superheroes, and is sent out to their two team mates. I'd say that this is actual confirmation that Robin and Starfire are indeed a couple." The DJ said, then switched over from his mic to the music.

"Robin, do not be angry with them. They. . . . . ." Starfire said, but tailed off when she saw the smile on his face.

"I asked Raven to call the request in, and arranged to have it piped down here," he said. Starfire watched as he stood and walked over to stand beside her. "You do recognize the tune, don't you?" he asked holding out his hand.

Starfire listened for a moment. The tune was familiar, but she couldn't place it. She watched as Robin's smile widened.

"Care to dance with your King, my Queen?"

Starfire gasped as she recognized the tune. "The song we danced to as the King and Queen of Kitten's prom!"

Robin nodded as Starfire took his hand and stood. He lead her a few steps away from the table, then held her close as they swayed to the music. "That was the first time I danced with you," he said.

The couple was silent for a few moments, then Starfire sighed softly as she rested her head on Robin's shoulder. "Galfore and Kim'r are correct. We have not had enough of the time alone. I hope we can do better once we return to the Tower."

"I guess I can send the others off to either patrol the city, or go shopping from time to time."

"Do not make light of this, Robin. It is important that we. . . ." Starfire began, but trailed off as Robin's fingers started rubbing the back of her neck, just above her neck piece. She knew he felt her shiver with pleasure at his touch. "Robin, you know that I can not think clearly when you do that," she protested weakly.

Robin touched his forehead to hers so they were looking into each others eyes. "Then don't," he said so softly that she barely heard him. "That's the idea."

Starfire drew a breath to say something, but didn't get the chance as Robin sealed her lips with his.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 37

Robin sat on the picnic blanket and looked up at Starfire, who was hovering a short distance away, laughing as she watched two squirrels chasing each other up and down a tree. He saw her turn to him, her face concerned.

"Robin? What is wrong?" she asked as she felt his distress through their bond. She saw him look into the sky, his face draining of color.

"Nie'l!" he cried out. Before he could say anything more, both his and Starfire's Tamaranean communicators started beeping.

"Rob'n, Koriand'r," Galfore called as his face appeared on their communicators. Robin noticed that the picture was occasionally broken up by flashes of static. "The POJOR, SHRASS, and VANDER have returned with two more ships we have not yet identified. Their fighters have damaged to TOMOR'O, SOMOR'O, BRIND'R, ROSHON'R, BOROMI'R and SOMON'R. The NUMEN'R and ourselves are engaging the Gordanian ships, hoping to cover their retreat as are the LIANDER, TAMAR, and VANYAR."

"Galfore, what of Nie'l? Is he well?"

The look on the old warrior's face confirmed what Robin felt through his bond with the youngster. "I did not wish to tell you this in this manner, my Lady, but the POJOR and VANDER concentrated their fire on us and damaged the bridge. He died instantly when a control panel he was standing beside exploded."

Just then, the picture seemed to shudder, and Robin realized it was the ROHA'N that shuddered. "X'Hal, no!" Galfore gasped as he scanned a panel to his right. What indicators Robin could see on it were flashing red. Some were dark. "The SHRASS just hit our engineering areas with it's particle cannon. I am ordering all hands to the escape pods. Navigator, report!"

"My Lord, we are losing altitude and impacting on the Terran atmosphere. Without power, we can not stabilize our orbit. In short, my Lord, this ship is doomed. I have calculated our point of impact, however."

The camera followed Galfore as he leaned over and looked at the Navigation Officer's calculations. "X'Hal, it gets worse. Rob'n, Koriand'r, our point of impact is your home. What you call Titans Tower."

The ROHA'N's bridge shook again and the picture dissolved to static then went black.

Robin quickly opened his Titan communicator. "Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy! Evacuate the Tower! The ROHA'N has been shot down from orbit, and it's going to crash into the Tower!"

"No can do, Robin," Cyborg replied, the quarantine lock down alarm sounding in the background. "Somehow, about a hundred Sladebots got into the Tower before the security system detected them. The system has locked everything down, and I can't access it anymore. We're trapped in here, but we're not goin down without a fight."

There was the sound of several laser shots and the painful roar of a tiger, then the transmission was cut off.

Robin spun when he heard Starfire cry out in pain, and he ran over to where she had fallen. "Star, where are you hurt?"

"It is not me, Robin, but Raven," she replied, her eyes streaming with tears. "She is no longer with us. Your pain over Nie'l's death must be overshadowing your bond with Raven." Starfire stood, then took flight again. "I must go and help my people. I can help to guide the escape pods to a safe landing place."

"Starfire! No! They are probably waiting to catch you!"

Robin's word fell on deaf ears as Starfire kept gaining altitude, heading to where escape pods could now be seen entering the atmosphere.

Their attention was drawn to where a loud roaring sound heralded the arrival of the ROHA'N.

"My God!" Robin gasped as he saw that the vessel was mostly intact, but breaking up rapidly. He and Starfire watched helplessly as the burning hulk streaked across the sky and slammed into the island on which Titans Tower stood. "Nnnnnooooooo!" they both cried at seeing their home destroyed.

"Robin, please understand. I must help who I can of my people."

Robin stepped over to try to get closer to the Tamaranean Princess as she, again, started gaining altitude. A noise to his right caught his attention.

"You've got problems of your own, Boy Wonder. You should have stayed in Gotham."

"Benny the dart," Robin said when he recognized the young man standing a few feet away, a gun pointed in his direction.

"No darts this time. You're dead for what you did to me before," Benny said, and Robin watched him pull the trigger.

With a strangled shout Robin sat bolt upright, his head coming up from the desk he had fallen asleep at. His hand shook as he wiped the sweat from his brow and face, and he struggled to get his heart beat back to normal. "It was only a dream," he sighed, then realized that it was one that he had been sharing with Starfire.

Because of their bond, he was now seeing the nightmare from Starfire's point of view.

"Robin!" she screamed as she saw him on the ground, his blood making a growing stain on the grass. "Shu jelarakana nechevu!" she bellowed, her eyes glowing bright green and the heat of her star bolt energy causing her tears to turn to steam. Through the haze of her fury, she saw Benny point his gun at her, and she snapped. Her eye beams caught him full in the chest and the flurry of star bolts aided in slamming him back against a tree. She hovered there a moment and watched his limp form sag to the ground.

_'Kori, no!' _Robin said through their bond.

Still locked in her nightmare Starfire thought Robin was barely holding on to life. _'It is alright, beloved. Even according to your laws, death would be a fitting punishment for him.'_

Robin struggled to his feet and staggered to the door to Starfire's bed room on the ROHA'N. He braced himself against the door as he struggled to keep the images from Starfire's nightmare from overwhelming him.

In the nightmare, Starfire kept gaining altitude until she was at the edge of Earth's atmosphere. She watched an escape pod approaching, and started to brace herself to slow it and ease it to the ground, but had to turn away as it exploded with a bright flash. When she turned to look for another pod, she gaped in horror as she saw Gordanian fighters swarming through the defenseless pods, shooting them down.

Not thinking of her own safety, she flew at the nearest fighter, eye beams and star bolts blazing. She had no time to celebrate the ships' destruction, as another one literally ran into her. The impact stunned the redhead, and as she struggled to regain her bearings, several other ships joined in. Each one struck a glancing blow.

Starfire blinked rapidly, hoping to clear her vision and almost wished she hadn't. A fighter was hovering before her, its main gun glowing as it built to discharge. She knew what was coming, but was too battered to move out of the way. Despite bracing herself, she cried out from the pain as the charged particle beam lanced out and struck her.

Robin groaned as he managed to get himself up on his hands and knees. He knew the images were all in his mind, but it felt so real. He took a few calming breaths, and managed to at least partially block what he was getting through the bond. He thought of taking off his crystal, but realized what Starfire would go through if she awoke before he managed to get to her side.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Starfire's unconsciousness in her nightmare gave him a brief respite. He opened the door and went in. He cursed under his breath as he shook his head to clear it of the hazy image of a Gordanian standing in front of him.

"I will **never** give in to your demands!" he heard Starfire shout in Tamaranean.

Robin quickly crossed over to Starfire's side, and reached down and shook her shoulders to try to wake her up. He thought he had succeeded when her eyes opened, but his relief vanished as she spat a curse at him. Her left hand grabbed his right shoulder, and her right slammed into his stomach.

"You will **not**!" she shouted as her alien strength allowed her to lift and toss Robin across the room where he slammed into a wall.

Ignoring the pain where his left shoulder hit the wall harder, Robin got to his feet, but kept his distance. "Kori, wake up!"

"Ro. . . . .Robin? You are not dead?" she asked as she sat up.

"No Star, I'm right here. That was all a nightmare. Calm yourself, and you'll find that Raven is alright, too."

Starfire closed her eyes for a moment, and Robin could tell that her breathing was slowing as she calmed her self down, realizing that she and her friends were safe and sound.

"Yes. You are right. She is unharmed, although very concerned."

"I should have realized that something like this might happen," Robin said as he sat on the edge of the bed and put an arm around her shoulders. "Was that like the nightmares you had when we first lived in the Tower?"

Starfire snuggled into Robin's open arms, and he could feel her still trembling. "No, beloved. This was far worse. The nightmares I had then did not include any of you, or Nie'l and the others. They were simply reliving occurrences from when I was aboard the SHRASS."

Robin felt her relax with a shuddering sigh as she tried to snuggle closer to him. He shifted around so his back was to the headboard of the bed, and his arms were wrapped around her. "Think you can get back to sleep like this?" he asked after he had kissed the top of her head.

"If you do not curb your thoughts, sleeping will be the furthest thing from my mind, my husband," Starfire said playfully.

Robin sighed softly. "Then it's back to the couch in your ante room for me."

Starfire hugged Robin's arms to her, keeping him from leaving. "No." she said softly. "I only meant to tease, my love. You have been most. . . .admirable in your restraint, and in following Vern'a's instructions. She may be one of the ones pressing for us to produce an heir, but she is also aware that I am not yet fully recovered. Is being around me like this that difficult?"

Starfire had tilted her head back so she could look up at Robin's face. He looked down at her and he could see the concern on her face. "It's okay, Star. It's just that I'm used to seeing you in your uniform."

He was surprised when she got up and stood a few feet away. "Is there something wrong with this?"

Like any typical teen aged boy, Robin's brain slipped out of gear for a moment as he looked at her. When it finally started working again he found that he had to admit, that with the exception of her not wearing her boots, the silk camisole top and satin shorts she was wearing probably covered more of her than her usual outfit. He shook himself when he felt her amusement at his blatant staring.

He pulled at the neck of his uniform shirt and cleared his throat. "No, Star, there's nothing wrong with it," he said. "It's just that . . . .well. . . . .satin and silk. . .have a tendency to. . . . .umm. . . . .cling more."

Starfire almost chuckled at Robin's obvious discomfort. "I see," she said, her eyes glittering in amusement. She floated over to a full length mirror and made a show of studying her reflection. "You are most correct," she said as she smoothed the fabric over her hips. "And the sensation of the fabric on the skin is. . . ."

"Kori!" Robin half cried from across the room. "Stop it."

Starfire looked over her shoulder at him, then blushed. She floated over and stood beside where he now sat on the edge of the bed. "I am most sorry, Robin. I forget that just because you do not show your feelings, it does not mean that you do not have them. Indeed, I have learned quite the opposite. Your feelings and emotions run just as deep as any Tamaraneans, even mine." she reached down and trailed her fingers over his cheek. "I apologize for teasing you."

Robin took her hand from his cheek then kissed the palm, his thumb gently rubbing over the underside of her wrist. "Apology accepted, Star. Now just how shall I punish you for that?"

Starfire looked at him in amusement. "Punish me, Robin? You may be my husband, which makes you a prince, but you are not from Tamaran. Do not think that you can take upon yourself to. .eeeppp."

Starfire squealed in surprise as Robin suddenly turned, dragging her down beside him on the bed. Her surprise showed clearly on her face as she looked up at him as he now knelt beside her. "Robin, what do you intend to do?" Suddenly her eyes widened, as she learned what he was going to do through their bond. "X'Hal, no! Robin, do not, I beg of you."

Robin grinned evilly at her and nodded. Starfire tried to resist, but was over come with peals of laughter as his fingers went to her skin just below her ribs and tickled. After a few moments, he stopped and waited for her to catch her breath.

"X'Hal, Robin. . . . .when did . . . .you learn. . . .I was ticklish there?"

"When we went to Tamaran, for your wedding," he replied. "After you and Galfore greeted each other, he tickled you." He settled next to her, laying on his right side, then he brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "I just didn't know you were that ticklish," he added with a chuckle. He smiled broadly when she blushed.

"When I was very young, I was sick with a bad case of xalocha. It is similar to your earthly flu." she explained. "One thing I used to enjoy doing when I was home was picking zorka berries. Because during the worst part of xalocha the person who is ill suffers hallucinations, I had been given veka serum, so I could not fly to reach the remaining berries. Galfore lifted me up and accidentally discovered that I was ticklish."

Starfire looked over at Robin. "Aside from my love of my parents, I had never felt such joy. Galfore promised me before I left with the Gordanians that if we met again, he would have me experience that happiness again."

While he listened, Robin's fingers were absently tracing over her cheek and neck. He smiled softly when he heard her sharp intake of breath as his fingers trailed over the skin just below her ear. "I didn't mean to intrude on anything."

Starfire turned her head so she was looking at him. "You did not intrude, Robin. I hope that you know that you give me more happiness just by being near me." She saw Robin returning her smile as her breath caught in her throat as his fingers trailed down her shoulder to her upper arm. With a soft groan she stood up. "I will go change into something less. . . . .tempting for both our sakes."

Robin sat up and watched her float over to her bathroom. "Well, you can try."

Starfire stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder. "What is this burlap sack you are thinking of?"

Robin blushed and chuckled nervously. It's a large bag made of a coarse cloth," he explained. "They're usually used for taking vegetables to market."

Starfire giggled softly, as she saw the image in Robin's mind of her wearing a burlap sack. "So even dressed like that I would be attractive to you?"

"Face it, Kori. To me, there is no one more attractive than you, no matter what you wear. While you go change, I think I'll do the same, and get into something a little more comfortable."

"Then I shall await your return."

Robin shook his head as he chuckled when the door closed behind him. He quickly entered the bath room that was attached to the main room of the small suit that Starfire had. After a quick, cold shower, he changed into a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt. He stopped at the door to Starfire's room when he froze at the voice behind him.

"Vido'an Rob'n, is Vidak'an Koriand'r well?"

Robin turned as saw Kir'a standing a few feet away, her robe held closed. Despite the sleepy look on her face he could see the concern there as well. "She's fine, Kir'a. She just had a bad dream."

Kir'a nodded. "So Captain Kim'r was correct in her belief that she might have some. Does she require anything to ease her mind and help her to sleep? I can call Healer Vern'a."

"All she needs is my company," he said, and smiled softly at how the youngster's face lit up. "I'll tell her that you were asking."

"Thank you, Highness. I will see you both in the morning," she said then turned to go back to her room. She stopped just short of the door and turned back to Robin. "Will you be wanting your first meal served in bed?"

"No, thank you. We'll be eating in the port observation lounge."

"As you wish, Highness." She bowed slightly and watched Robin enter Starfire's room and the door close. "To quote Titan Cyborg, boo-yah," she said with a huge smile.

Robin stood just inside the door and let his eyes adjust to the lack of light. He jumped slightly as Starfire lighted up the room by forming a star bolt.

"You realize that you have just fed the mill of rumors, correct?"

"Well it'll at least get Galfore and Vern'a off our backs. Their concern was that I was sleeping on the couch. That wouldn't set a proper image for our people. Besides, you were the one who told her that I wasn't sleeping in here because I didn't think I could keep my hands off you, despite Vern'a's medical orders."

Starfire giggled as Robin settled onto the mattress beside her. "I did not know that my saying that was so near to the truth. Pleasant shlorvaks, my husband." As she spoke, Starfire had cooled her star bolt, and turned on her side, facing away from Robin. She smiled as she felt him snuggle in behind her, his left arm going around her waist.

"Pleasant dreams to you too, Kori," he whispered in her ear.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 38

Robin and Starfire stood, arm in arm as they watched the sun peek out from behind the Earth. Both were satisfied at how the other felt rested after sleeping the rest of the night. They both turned when they heard the faint jingling of a tinnabula.

"Happy Blorthog, Father!" Nie'l shouted as he entered the room, then flew up to give Robin a hug.

"Happy Blorthog, Shoka," Robin said as he returned the hug. He was surprised when Nie'l simply turned to Starfire.

"Happy Blorthog, Mother."

Starfire looked at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and hurt. "Am I not deserving of a hug as well?"

"That will depend on if I am allowed, or if I must show the proper decorum as Emperor?"

"I see," Starfire said, and saw that Robin was about to speak. "I am sorry for saying that to you, Nie'l. You and Galfore are correct, you should not be scolded for simply showing affection for those you love. I only hoped to keep you from embarrassment in front of the others."

"Me, as you son, or as Emperor?"

Robin didn't know what caused it, but he felt the sudden shift in Nie'l's mood. "Nie'l, don't," he warned.

"Why not, father? How can you defend her? She attacked us both. Twice, and those she calls her friends."

"Nie'l, that's not fair. You know she. . . . ."

"I know that Tamaraneans are not effected by radiation," Nie'l said looking accusingly at Starfire. "I know she has used her relationship with you to remain a Titan. You have been more of a father to me than she has been a mother. At least you tried to defend me from Galfore's challenge. She probably took the veka serum intentionally, hoping to loose your child."

"NIE'L! COVATCHU!!" Galfore roared from the doorway. "You will be silent if all you can speak are lies!"

"Nie'l. . . . .shoka. . . .I. . . ." Starfire stammered, her arms around her middle as if feeling sick to her stomach. With a choked off sob she half ran half flew from the room.

"Kori, wait! Starfire!!" Robin called then went to follow her.

"I believe it would be best if we both went to her," Galfore said.

Robin stood for a moment. "You're right. It's going to take both of us to calm her down."

"What in Azar's name is going on?" Raven asked as she materialized by the door. "What's gotten Starfire and you so upset, Robin?"

"Nie'l, you will not leave this room until I send for you," Robin snapped. "Raven, you are to make sure that he does not leave this room. You are to use what ever means necessary. If any Tamaraneans give you any trouble, tell them that it's my royal command, and they will have me to deal with."

"Father, I will not leave. You have my word on that. I will await any punishment you will have for me," Nie'l said softly. "I do not know why I said what I did, and I know how deeply I hurt both of you."

"We will speak when we return, Nie'l," Galfore growled, then his face grew sad. "I am sorely disappointed in you."

"I release you from your oath of silence to me, K'norfka." Nie'l said as Galfore and Robin left the room.

"I did not hear all that Nie'l was saying, but I did hear the last three," Galfore said as he kept pace with Robin as they went down the corridor. "Koriand'r will be most upset and will not be in a mood to talk to us."

"You have a knack for understatement," Robin growled, then sighed as he looked over at the older man. "Sorry, Galfore," he said. "It's just that I've haven't felt her this angry and hurt before."

"No apology needed, Rob'n. I had forgotten about your bond. Where are you going?"

Robin stopped where he had taken a turn down another corridor. "Kori didn't go to her room," he said. "She's in the arboretum."

"I am not much surprised. At the Palace, she would retreat to the gardens if she desired privacy."

"What in the world got into Nie'l?" Robin asked as they waited for the elevator to take them down to the deck where the arboretum was. "It was almost as if a switch had been thrown in his head. Even when he was under the influence of that Vartoch du Lunecha, he was not that angry, or when he was angry at me for not protecting Starfire well enough."

"Did Koriand'r say anything that might have angered him?"

"Not that I can think of," Robin answered, then paused as they entered the lift. "Nie'l came in, wished me a happy Blorthog, and gave me a hug. Then he turned to Kori and simply wished her a happy Blorthog." He went on to relate the conversation and how Nie'l seemed to suddenly get angry for no reason. "It's almost as if he's been bottling it all up inside, and he finally snapped."

"That is a most apt deduction, Rob'n. I will explain further when we are able to talk to Koriand'r. It will keep me from repeating myself."

Robin nodded, then tapped the manual control to open the door to the arboretum. He frowned when it still didn't open.

"Odd," Galfore said as he reached past Robin and tapped a string of numbers into a pad that was beside the manual control.

"Galfore, what does this look like to you?" Robin asked, pointing to a spot where the door met the wall.

Galfore looked then grunted softly. "This does not bode well, Robin. She has used her star bolts and welded the door shut."

_'Kori, open the door,'_ Robin sent through their bond.

_'No. I wish to be alone. If you can not respect that, then I shall remove my crystal, and you will not be able to intrude on my isolation.'_

_'You won't find me that easy to get rid of, mathad. You are my wife, and more importantly, my friend. I won't let you suffer alone'_

Robin steeled himself for Starfire's removing her crystal, and he and Galfore both jumped when the door popped as the weld Starfire had made heated. A moment later the door slid open.

"I know that you are determined enough that you would bring Raven here and have her teleport you to wherever I may have gone," Starfire said softly

"There are things I must tell both of you, that concern Nie'l," Galfore said. "It will help to explain his actions this morning."

"What have I done to cause him to hate me so?"

Galfore sighed heavily as they walked over to a nearby bench. "He does not hate you, Korana. I am certain that Rob'n can attest to that. For what happened, I hold myself somewhat at fault. Through my act of omission, I cut Nie'l off from a source of support he has badly needed."

"I don't understand it, Kori, but he's right," Robin said after a moment. "Nie'l doesn't hate you, and it's not even you he's angry at. You just happened to be the one he focused on."

"But why? Where did he get such ideas about me?"

"I might have an answer to that, my Lady," Galfore said. "In many respects, he is much like you were at his age, my little bumgorf. He is also very different. Like you, Koriand'r, he has had difficulties with a part of his training, but unlike you, it is his control of his anger in combat that is lacking."

"And the members of his cadre are aware of this," Starfire said softly.

"It has caused him to be the target of some teasing by them. That is where he has gotten those ideas about you, Koriand'r. They have been said to him to make him lose control of his anger."

"I know how he feels," Robin said softly. "I know they're not warriors yet, but isn't there something like the shavek hifa that they can use to settle things?"

"There is, Robin, but that is not available to Nie'l," Starfire said sadly. "It is not just because he is Emperor, but because he is my son. His being a member of the Royal Family denies him that."

"Why haven't Starfire and I heard of this before?"

"Because I acted according to what my heart told me was best," Galfore said softly. "Nie'l had me take an oath that I would not discuss this with you. That was the oath of silence he released me from before, Rob'n."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I gave him my word, Titan Raven," Nie'l said as he sat on the bench and looked at the Earth. "I will not leave here, until he says that I can."

Raven looked over at the youngster. She could feel his sadness, but was impressed that he was keeping it from his expression. "Why does Starfire think that you hate her?"

Raven almost wished she hadn't asked, as Nie'l hung his head and his shoulders slumped. "Because I said some very hurtful things to her," he said softly. "Things I know to be false, but said to her anyway." He was silent for a moment, and if Raven hadn't been trying to read his feelings, to find out what was troubling him, she would have been surprised when he suddenly shouted and fired a star bolt at the bulkhead. "Why can I not control my anger like the others?"

Raven sighed sadly as she caught glimpses of what had been going on. "Maybe it's because you haven't been offered the way that works best for you."

Nie'l looked over at her. "I am being trained by the best instructors Tamaran has to offer."

"And do they include the methods and teachings of the Monks of Azar?"

"Why wold we use the training of ruthasha? They do not know Tamaranean ways."

"Because those ways are not working for you. Would you be willing to have me train you?" Raven suppressed a smile as she watched Nie'l get up and start pacing in front of the duraglass, his head down and his chin cupped in his right hand. An almost perfect imitation of Robin.

"I know that you would not make the offer if you were not intent on doing what you say," he said as he stopped pacing and looked at her. "Why would you do this? What have you to gain?"

The similarity of the scene was not lost on Raven. She remembered Starfire turning on them, her hands glowing, demanding to know why they freed her. She also remembered how Starfire had no conception of someone doing something for her, simply because they wanted to.

"Your friendship, and the knowledge that I was able to pass what I have learned and help you." She raised an eyebrow when she saw his face darken with anger.

"You are just being the nice to me, because I am Rob'n and Koriand'r's son."

Raven sighed softly. "Believe what you want, Vidok'an Nie'l. I've made the offer, accept or not as you wish."

What ever Nie'l was going to say was cut off as a warrior entered the room. "My apologies, my Lord, Titan Raven. I did not intend to interrupt anything." He quickly looked around. "I was told that the Empress and Vido'an Rob'n were here."

"They're on their way back and will be here in a moment," Raven said.

"What is it you wish to discuss with them, Commander Selo'n?"

"Something between them and myself, Nie'l."

"You will address me correctly, Commander."

Selo'n met Nie'l's angry glare coolly. "You are correct; I was mistaken on how I addressed you, Avano Nie'l. As required, I bring them the news that a discipline board was convened concerning you and your actions. I also bring them the results."

"The results of what?" Robin asked as he, Starfire, and Galfore entered the room.

"Mother!" Nie'l cried and flew over to Starfire, wrapping her in a hug. "I am so sorry and ashamed of what I said to you. I know that none of that was true."

"It is alright, shoka. Galfore has explained some of the difficulties you have been suffering."

"How much did he tell you?"

"I did not tell them of yesterdays events, Selo'n."

Selo'n nodded. "In answer to your question, Highness, I am here to inform you that a discipline board was convened to discuss Avano Nie'l's actions."

"What did Nie'l do that would require the convening of a discipline board? They are only called if one Avano strikes another."

Selo'n looked uncomfortable as he pulled himself to attention. "He did more than strike Avana Kayl'a. She is currently in a healing room aboard the SOMOR'O."

"Nie'l, what happened?" Robin asked, kneeling down to be eye to eye with him.

"I was provoked," he replied almost tearfully. "I know that I lost control, and that I went too far, but, X'Hal help me, she deliberately. . . . ."

Robin reached over and gently pulled on Nie'l's shoulder, pulling him into a comforting hug. "It's okay, Nie'l."

"I am sorry, father, I did not wish to disappoint you."

Robin could feel Nie'l shaking with the sobs he was suppressing, and he tightened his arms around him. "What was the result of the board?"

"Nie'l has been cleared of any wrong doing. What he said is correct, he was deliberately provoked in a manner that would leave him no choice but to lash out."

"So what I have heard is true?"

"Yes, Galfore," Selo'n said. "There are more than enough witnesses to what happened."

"What did happen, Commander?"

"It was during a break in training with the bow, my Lady," he replied. "Several of the Avani had decided to continue to practice, but Nie'l, Kayl'a and Aso'n had engaged in a game of vetha e nartho."

"The vetha is a predator on Tamaran, and its primary prey is the nartho," Starfire explained. "The game is very much like your tag."

Robin nodded, and Selo'n continued. "Nie'l is exceptionally agile, and Kayl'a was getting frustrated that she could not score a touch on him. She only managed to after she called out something to him."

Nie'l pulled out of Robin's arms, and Robin could see his tears. "She told me to stop acting like the jelara Sher'l was," he managed to get out. "She said that my sister was not worthy of the title of warrior. That she was a disgrace to that title. I told her that she had better apologize for that, or I would see her in the circle, royal or not. She said that I did not have the honor or the courage for that, and that she did not have to concern herself with the babbling of i jelara, che shaloha du i jelara."

"A coward, the brother of a coward," Robin said, stunned that any Tamaranean would think that Sher'l was a coward.

"Nie'l, there were several of us who thought that Avana Kayl'a did not get what she deserved. We feel that you stopped yourself short of that."

"How badly was she injured?" Starfire asked.

"Nothing serious, my Lady. The worst is a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose. Other than that, all she has are small cuts and scrapes."

"No burns?"

Selo'n looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, Titan Raven, none."

"What is it, Rae?" Robin asked, seeing the dark Titan deep in thought.

"Controlling his anger may not be the problem, if there actually is one. He was that angry, and rightly so, but he still didn't use his star bolts when he attacked her."

"He didn't fire his up when he was angry at Starfire before, either," Robin said.

"You still have use of them, do you not, Nie'l?"

"I assure you he does, Commander," Raven said, and motioned toward the blackened spot on the wall. She looked over at Robin. "What was it Kim'r said when Nie'l had passed the test?"

"She said that he had done so well at controlling his anger that veka serum didn't need to used."

Just then, a blue star bolt struck Nie'l on the shoulder. Robin saw how dim it was and realized that it probably hit him softly enough to only feel like a slight nudge with a fist.

"Shu vata vetha, Nie'l" a voice called from the doorway.

As the others watched Kir'a and two other girls flew into the room, each swooping close to Nie'l, but turning away just out of arms reach.

"I am the vetha, eh? Then you are nartho!" Nie'l said, then took flight himself, his hands glowing softly red.

"Covatchu! Enough!" Galfore shouted. "Kir'a, you and Koriand'r's other handmaidens should be still be busy with your duties."

Kir'a and the others touched down facing Galfore. "The only duties we have this morning is to ensure that the Empress's bed chamber is in order, and to bring her and Vido'an Rob'n their first meal," Kir'a said. "the cook is still preparing their meals, and there was nothing to do in her bed chamber. All was in order when we went in."

"Even in better order than when we do it," the smaller of the three said, then gave Robin a mischievous glance. "Vido'an Rob'n is most efficient at cleaning, it seems."

"Len'a!" Kir'a admonished. "You know you should not speak of such things in front of others."

Galfore closed his mouth as he got over the surprise at Len'a's statement. He looked over at Robin and Starfire and saw them both blushing slightly. "It is alright, this once, Kir'a," he said. "I trust that Selo'n will keep this in confidence."

"Of course, Galfore," Selo'n said. "My Lady, Highness, I have taken up enough of your time this morning."

Robin and Starfire returned his bow. "Selo'n, I know you from somewhere, don't I?"

"You have a good memory, Highness. I was the warrior who faced you on the ROSHON'R," Selo'n said, then looked over at were Kir'a and Nie'l were talking. "Right before. . . ."

Robin nodded. "Is there a way that I could speak to all the cadres? There are some things I would like to clear up with them. I'll understand if you say no. The last thing I want to do is interfere with Nie'l's handling his own problems."

Robin was surprised when Selo'n looked relieved. "I was trying to think of a way to ask you to do just that, Highness. To be honest, the insults that have been thrown at Nie'l concerning you and the Empress did not concern me, as they are normal, if not more numerous than what Koriand'r endured as avana, but what Kayl'a said about Sher'l is another matter. Contact me tomorrow, and we will go over your presentation to them."

"Thank you, Selo'n."

"My duty is to serve, Highness. Happy Blorthog."

"Mother, may I make a request of you?"

"Of course, Nie'l. If I can, I will grant it."

"Our celebration feast at last meal, can we have it in your garden?"

Starfire smiled warmly at Nie'l. "I think that would be a wonderful idea."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 39

Robin and Starfire were on the very edge of her garden. Well, at least Robin was. He sat on a rock watching Starfire performing aerial acrobatics, weaving in and out of a flock of seagulls.

He smiled softly, as it seemed as if the birds had missed her for the last two months. They didn't scatter at her presence, but swooped and dove around her as if challenging her to copy their maneuvers.

He sat up sharply when something off to his left caught Starfire's attention. He was baffled when she suddenly dove into the water, only to surface a moment later, holding a small fish. He stood up and jogged over to where she touched down on a small sandy spit.

"Star, what is it?" he called as he came up to her. He slowed to a walk when he saw that she was feeding the fish to a gull whose wing was obviously broken.

"His wing is broken, and he can not provide for or defend himself," she replied. "Robin, I know you have been most insistent about my not having another pet than Silkie, but it would only be until his wing is healed and he can fly again."

Robin sighed softly as he knelt beside Starfire as she held the bird. He knew how much she hated to any animal suffer, and, in fact, he shared that with her. "Hold him steady, and I'll see what I can do."

Starfire nodded, and kept the bird from moving as Robin gently straightened the bones where the break was. "Easy, little one, we mean to help," she said softly, then blushed as she felt Robin's surprise at how the bird stopped moving. "Is there nothing you can do for it?" she asked when she heard him blow out a breath in frustration.

"We don't have a first aid kit with us, Star. I don't have anything to splint this with."

Starfire nodded her understanding. "Perhaps there is another way," she said. _'Shalay'fa, may I see you for a moment. It is not critical, but it is most urgent,"_

Robin looked to his right as Raven flew over from the Tower. "What is it Starfire?"

"Can you help it?"

Robin smiled softly as Raven rolled her eyes at the thought of her using her powers on the gull. He also knew that she'd do it, if for no other reason than because it was Starfire asking her to.

"Please, shalay'fa. I do not often make requests of you."

Raven felt Robin's amusement at her as she knelt in the sand between them. "Alright, Starfire," she said as she placed her fingers on the birds wing. "After all, it is Blorthog. Robin, hold the bones in place," she instructed. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos." Robin and Starfire watched as Raven's eyes and fingers glowed white. A moment later, the bird gave a squawk and flapped it wings.

Starfire quickly calmed the gull. "Thank you, shalay'fa. I knew I could depend on you to help," Starfire gushed as she gave Raven a quick, one armed hug then took to the sky, the gull cradled in her arm.

"It's good to have her back," Raven said as she and Robin stood, watching the redhead as she hovered a few yards from the shore facing the wind. "I hope to Azar that she never changes."

"That makes two of us, Rae," Robin said his eyes glued to Starfire's form. Raven was almost ashamed as she picked up on the warmth she felt for the Tamaranean that was coming from him. "She never ceases to amaze me at how caring and giving she is."

"But let someone threaten someone or something she cares for, and she'll change in an instant to a force that is almost unstoppable," she said. "I almost envy you, Boy Wonder. She's very special."

"Don't you think for a moment that I don't realize that," Robin said softly. "Not a day goes by that I catch her looking at me in that way of hers, and I wonder what I did to deserve her love."

They fell silent as they watched Starfire hold the gull in her hands, letting it spread it's wings and catch the wind. It lifted free from her hands and with a squawk it rose slightly above her, then settled into a position to her right, tilting it's wings and tail feathers to hold the wind and copy her hover.

Starfire's laughter carried back to them on the wind as she gently banked to her left, and the gull copied her. Their maneuvers grew more complicated then, with another squawk the gull peeled off and rejoined the flock.

"Come, Raven, join me," Starfire called as she flew over to them. "It is a glorious day for flying! The wind is warm and scented with the salt from the sea!"

Robin looked over at Raven and saw her smiling softly. He couldn't blame her. When Starfire was in a mood like this her happiness was very infectious. "Go on Rae," he urged. "I only wish I could join you."

"But we're not going anywhere. Flying would be pointless."

"Not to her. Can't you feel it Rae? Heck, I'm not even half trying and I can feel the happiness flowing through her."

Robin watched as Raven closed her eyes for a moment, and he could feel her mentally bracing herself for what she was about to do. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she gasped softly. "Sweet Azar, I never knew. Even when I had to learn to fly when we switched bodies, I never knew she felt like this when she flew."

Robin wasn't surprised when a green falcon swooped over to them, and Beast Boy morphed to human form as he landed. "Raven?"

Raven noticed Robin's grin at the concerned tone of Beast Boy's voice. She also felt him clamp down in their bond, allowing her and Beast Boy more privacy. "I'm okay, Garfield. I just took Robin's advice and let myself feel more of Starfire's happiness." She paused for a moment and looked up at where Starfire was zipping across the sky. The seagulls had landed and were bobbing gently on the waves. "Come on, Garfield," she said. "Morph into something with wings. We're going flying."

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"No where. We're flying for the fun of it."

Beast Boy looked at her as if she just told him to stand on his head and recite poetry. "Oooohhkkaaaaayyyyy. And we're dong this why?"

Raven shook her head and took to the air.

"Hey, don't look at me," Robin said when the green Titan gave him a questioning look. "I can't fly." He watched as beast Boy changed into a green seagull, and took flight."

"Starfire!" Raven called, her hand forming a sphere of her dark energy. When the redhead turned to answer, Raven threw the sphere. "Tag, you're it," Raven announced when the sphere struck Starfire's hip.

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Robin and Starfire stood and watched as several of the staff from the ROHA'N's dining hall were setting up a field kitchen. Off to their left was the long table that the meal would be served on.

Robin smiled softly as Starfire gave a contented sigh as she lay her head on his shoulder and gave him a gentle hug. He returned the favor, gently tightening his arm that was around her waist. "Tired?"

"A little. The last few nights have not been the most restful. I thank you for comforting me last night, and for your actions during my first nights at the Tower."

Robin gave her a confused look. "But I didn't do anything then."

"It is that for which I am thanking you," she explained. "You did not question, or bring them up in conversation, much as I know you wanted to. I know that you knew of them. With your room next to mine, even if you had been sleeping you would have heard the screams I woke with."

Robin shuddered slightly as he thought back to those times. Times when he would be jolted from his sleep or his research by Starfire screaming and crying in the early morning hours.

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "I figured that if you wanted to tell me about them, you would, although I doubted it."

"You are the leader of the Titans, and in effect, my commanding officer. Why would I not discuss them with you?"

Robin sighed softly as he started walking deeper into the garden with her. "Because I'm a guy, Star," he replied. "I knew, even before she told me, that Raven was helping you with them." He growled softly in frustration as he felt her continued confusion. Stopping beside a bench, he turned and faced her. "Kori, what I'm about to say is going to be both very human and very male. I hope I don't offend you." he said, then paused. "I knew that with you being a girl, and as pretty as you are, that you wouldn't be doing menial labor when you reached the Citadel."

He watched as she sagged down to sit on the bench, the color draining from her face. "X'Hal! You knew? Even back then? How?" she whispered, then looked at him, her expression showing her disbelief. "And you still. . . ."

Robin silenced her by putting his index finger to her lips. "The how is because I've seen enough old movies where the hero of the story saves the woman from her fate when he frees her from the slavers who have captured her. If you are still wondering how I can care for you, how I was able to take the Oath of Bonding with you, it's because what happened while you were with the Gordanians wasn't your fault. You were either forced of coerced."

Starfire giggled softly as she picked up the mental image of Robin in the role of the swashbuckling hero of a movie, and his fighting past the guards to reach her side. "You actually think of us that way? She laughed louder as she saw how red his face was turning.

"Just as you think of us like this," he countered, bringing up the image from her mind of her being trapped in a high tower, and Robin riding up like a knight in armor.

"It appears as though we have both gotten our wishes of each other," Starfire said as she blushed. "You are both my valiant knight, and my rescuer from the Gordanians."

Robin smiled at the warm look she was giving him. "I had help," he reminded her.

Starfire nodded, "And even though I know it was at Raven's suggestion, it was you who took the chance and freed me from my shackles. You were also the one to decide to help me escape the Gordanians, even if the others would not."

Robin realized that he wasn't going to convince her not to put him on such a high pedestal, and he chuckled when he felt her mental sigh of relief at that. "I will say that I didn't exactly get my wish, and I'm happy that I didn't."

Starfire's confusion showed on her face, and she cocked her head slightly to one side. "I am not who you wish me to be?"

Robin smiled, and he felt her apprehension ease slightly. "It's not that, Starfire. Lets just say that I doubt that anyone will get away with calling you a damsel in distress, or a fawning, helpless Princess."

"So my not being those things makes me better in your eyes?" she asked and Robin nodded. "I shall have to ensure that I show my appreciation as the rescued Princess more fully." Robin watched the sultry look she was giving him change to a more normal one. "I can see that my parents were correct in their actions on Blorthog."

"Why? What did they do?"

"They both decreed that no one was to disturb them with any affairs of state unless it was an emergency. They were to have no visitors unless specifically asked for."

"Kori?" he asked, seeing her expression sadden slightly.

"That decree included my sister and I as well," she said softly. "I asked my mother once why that was so. Her answer was that she and father needed the time alone, away from the affairs of court, to simply relax and be themselves with each other. I did not realize until today how much time like that is needed."

"I can agree with not being bothered by affairs of state, but to close themselves away from you and Blackfire, their own children, I don't understand."

"Then we shall not treat our children the same way, and I will be most happy with that," Starfire said. She stood when they heard a soft gong. "It is time we returned to where the feast is to take place."

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It was about an hour later and the Titans, along with Galfore, Nie'l, Chr's, and Shel'b had finished eating, and were still sitting at the table, talking.

"I know that it seems to you that we are intruding on your private life, Rob'n," Galfore said. "But appearances are important, and must be maintained between you and Koriand'r."

"Galfore, I thought we agreed that anything to do with affairs of state would not be discussed today," Starfire said. She turned to her right and looked at Robin. "I do have a gift for you today, my husband."

Robin looked where she pointed to what had been one of the empty flower beds. He saw that it now had plants in it, but they were covered. He watched Starfire and Shel'b float over and they removed the cover, revealing the flowering plants to view.

"I remember those," Robin said, then trailed off as he remembered that he had pointed them out to Shel'b while she was masquerading as Starfire aboard the VELANCE'R.

"Shel'b told me of how much you liked them, Robin," Starfire said. She gently traced her fingers over one of the blooms. "They were also a favorite of my mothers. I just hope that they will grow in Earth soil."

Robin watched as the two girls returned to the table. "Thanks," he said, then looked over at where Beast Boy and Raven sat beside each other. He smiled softly when he noticed that Raven had her nose buried in the book that Beast Boy had given her. He knew that Raven had stopped asking, but he also knew she was deeply curious as to where Beast Boy had gotten it. Robin knew, but he had promised the green Titan that he wouldn't tell Raven where it came from.

"Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg has my and Starfire's gifts to you," he said, and Cyborg got up and placed a small box in front of each of them. "Now before you open them, I have a small announcement to make." He got up and walked over so he was standing behind Starfire and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "For the last five months, we've been husband and wife according to Tamaranean traditions. Starfire has agreed, and this Sunday, at a small chapel just outside the city, we'll be married according to Earth traditions."

"Congratulations," Raven said.

"Dude! We're goin' to a wedding!" Beast Boy said. "So these have something to do with that?"

Robin nodded. "The wedding won't be between, Robin and Starfire, but between Richard Grayson, and Kori Anders."

"A ring?" Beast Boy asked when he opened his box.

"You know I don't wear jewelry," Raven said.

"Humor me this once," Robin said and he watched as the two put the rings onto their fingers. "Cy,"

"Okay," Cyborg said. "Gently twist the stone a quarter turn to the right, then press on it."

Everyone watched as they followed his instructions. When they pressed on the stone they seemed to shimmer for a second, and Shel'b and Chr's gasped at the result.

"Rae, is that you?" Beast Boy asked when he looked over at her. "Wow."

"You're not so bad yourself," Raven said, giving him an appreciative look.

"Holographic projectors?" Chr's asked, drawing a nod from Cyborg.

"I used my own design and got together with some engineers aboard the ROHAN," he explained. "I can change the appearance if you want."

Beast Boy was no longer green or fuzzy. His eyes were still green, and he now had brown hair. He was wearing blue jeans, sneakers and a green t-shirt.

Raven wasn't changed that much. Her hair was a little longer, coming to just below her shoulders, and her eyes were still their normal amethyst, but her skin color was normal. She wore sneakers, jeans, and a blue t-shirt.

"This way you will be able to attend the wedding," Starfire said.

"Why can they not look as they normally do, and who is this Kori Anders you are forsaking her for?"

"Galfore, calm yourself," Starfire said sharply, seeing that he didn't understand some of what was being discussed. "I am Kori Anders. Outside of crime fighting, Robin has a different life where his name is Richard Grayson. He must keep these identities separate to protect people he knows from criminals who wold use them to get at him," she explained, then added softly, "as Slade did me."

"A change of clothes and hair style will be enough to disguise her," Robin said.

"I do not see how that is possible," Galfore said. "She is of the Royal Family, her true self would show through any disguise." He looked Robin up and down for a moment. "And I think much the same for you."

_'Shall we prove it to him, my love?'_ Starfire asked through their bond, and Robin nodded.

"Shel'b, Raven, can you come with me for a moment?"

"As you wish, my Lady," Shel'b replied. Raven simply nodded and teleported the four of them to the Tower.

About fifteen minutes later Raven, Shel'b and two others walked back to the table.

"Robin invited me, but he said that he and Starfire wouldn't be able to make it back for a while," the young man said to Galfore. "I'm Richard Grayson, and this is my fiancée, Kori Anders."

"By X'Hal, if I did not see it with my own eyes, I would not believe it possible," Galfore said after a moment. "Is that truly you, Koriand'r?"

Starfire was wearing the gown she did when she went to Kitten's prom to keep an eye on Robin. Her signature hair style had been changed. Her bangs had been combed back, feathered to frame her face. When Robin had first seen the new style, he had been horrified to think that she had cut her hair to shoulder length. He remembered that it took her months to get it to grow back out after Chang's disintegrator cannon had chopped most of it off. He was relieved when Shel'b had shown him that it was simply folded up and pinned.

Robin, as Dick Grayson, was wearing his tux, and his normally spiky hair style had been combed down, and he had removed his mask. "Ca shu jekaf roka, Galfore?"

"Yes, Highness, I believe now."

"I do have one last gift for you, my Lady," Shel'b said, and motioned to where several of the cooking staff stood. At her gesture, they stepped forward and placed a small covered bowl in front of each of them. "Before I give it to you, I want you all to try this first."

They took off the covers, and the Titans, except Starfire, all came up short.

"Glorg?" Robin asked dubiously.

"Trust me, Highness. Try it."

Taking a deep breath, Robin took a very small amount of the gel on his spoon and tasted it. Very much to his surprise, it actually tasted good.

"Shel'b, I command you to give me your recipe, and show me how to prepare this," Starfire said. "This is how glorg should taste. Evidently, I have been making some mistakes in following my recipe"

"No, my Lady, you have not," Shel'b said, placing a small package in front of Starfire. "This is a copy of my family recipes. Unlike the ones you have, these are correct."

"Mine are not. . . . .correct?"

Shel'b looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I had heard that the other Titans found your cooking. . . .inedible." she said. "So I checked you recipes and found that ingredients had been changed or the amounts had."

"I do not know who would do that to mother's recipes," Starfire said, and noticed that the other Titans were not only eating the glorg, but enjoying it. "Thank you for these, Shel'b."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 40

It was evening, and Robin and Starfire were on the roof of the Tower, watching the sunset, as usual.

"What are we going to do about Nie'l and what has been happening?" Starfire asked.

"I know I'm going to have to go over it with Selo'n, but I have an idea. It will clear up the reasons why you declared Sher'l a warrior in your personal guard and why she should be considered a hero."

"Yes, that part is what matters the most. What they have been saying about me is of no consequence."

"That's what you think," Robin muttered.

"Robin I am able to ignore a few insults. Especially if I know they are groundless."

"And you expect me to sit by while they say those things about you and the Titans? When I became your shalocfa, one of the things I swore was that I would defend both your honor and your life.

"Robin. . . ."

"He's right, Starfire," Raven said as she floated over to them. "One of the reasons why Komane'r was able to build a following is because some of your people didn't have confidence in your strength of leadership. If you simply do nothing and don't counter those who say that you're still a Titan because of your relationship with Robin, you'll be showing them that they were right and you don't have the strength to rule."

"And with your acceptance of them gone, Nie'l won't be able to hold the throne."

"So you both know more about my people than I do?"

"No, Mother, they do not," Nie'l said as he walked over. "Father may, because of your teachings, and his having a surprising insight into our ways. I mean no offense, Father, but you are not Tamaranean."

"No offense taken, shoka, and thanks for the compliment for not calling me ruthasha."

"You are welcome, father. Mother, Titan Raven, just came from a meeting with myself, Galfore and Kim'r. They had to be consulted before I accepted her offer to train me in my emotional control," he explained. "Galfore is most concerned that Kayl'a's views of both my sister and you and Father may spread."

"Besides, we don't like people messin' with our friends," Cyborg said as he and Beast Boy walked up. "You're a Titan, married to Robin or not."

"It looks as though you will not be handling this on your own," Starfire said.

"Have you told her about tomorrow night?" Raven asked, drawing a blank look from Robin.

"What is it that he must tell me about tomorrow night? Will it be different from other Saturday nights?"

"Compared to what you've gotten used to over the last few months, yeah," Cyborg said with a grin.

"I hate to admit it, but right now I'm as confused as Beast Boy," Robin said. "What are you talking about?"

"Traditionally, the groom doesn't see his wife to be the night before the wedding," Raven replied. "You'll get to see the sunset tomorrow, but after that, no contact."

"What about our crystals?" Starfire asked.

"Thank you for the reminder," Raven said as she came up behind them, and put a hand on each of their heads. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos," she chanted softly.

"Raven, what did you. . . ." Robin began.

"X'Hal, Raven! How did you do that? Robin, I have the sense of you in my mind, but can not actually read your thoughts."

"I'll remove the blocks after the wedding on Sunday," Raven said, then phased down through the roof.

"Oh, no she doesn't."

"Robin, wait," Starfire said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "She is only trying to ensure that we keep with your traditions. Be thankful she did not demand that we give our crystals to her."

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Two days later, Richard and Victor stood at the front of the church with the minister. As he and Starfire had planned, the wedding was small. Sitting in the pews was Linda Benson, Jennifer Ramsey, and a friend of Richard's from Gotham, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, two or three other people, and Blackfire.

"Will you calm down," Victor whispered to Richard. "She ain't gonna bail on ya."

Richard nodded, and took a couple breaths. _'Vic's right. Kori, or rather, Starfire is already married to me according to Tamaranean custom; this would just be a formality to her,'_ he thought. "Then why am I so nervous?" he muttered. Victor's deep-throated chuckle and his hand on Richard's shoulder did the trick, and he relaxed.

That is, until the music changed to the wedding march.

The first couple down the aisle was Raven as Rachel Roth, Kori's maid of honor, and Beast Boy as Garfield Logan, who was head usher. Both were using the holographic projectors that Cyborg had given them. Then came Chr's and Shel'b. Nie'l and Kir'a were last, sprinkling rose petals as they made their way to the alter.

Richard returned Nie'l's smile, then heard the soft creak as those in the pews turned to look at the back of the church.

"Yo, Rob, take a look at her," Victor said softly, forgetting to call him Richard.

Not catching the slip, Richard looked toward the back of the church. At first, all he could see was Kori's silhouette, back lit by the outside light streaming in through the doors. Then she stepped forward, and he felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked at her.

She wore a white floor length gown, and her arms were encased in white elbow-length gloves. The satin bodice hugged her figure with a modest neckline. The skirts of the gown flared out just above her hips, and a three-foot-long train trailed behind her. Richard could barely make out her face through her veil.

Galfore stepped beside her; she placed her hand on his forearm and they proceeded down the aisle.

Chr's watched, his mind's eye seeing a similar scene several years ago, as Galfore escorted Koriand'r down the aisle at the grand chamber on Tamaran. He smiled softly as he realized that Galfore would not growl at the groom this time.

After a few moments, they reached to front of the church, and the music fell silent.

Stepping forward, Father McDonald spoke. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Richard Grayson and Kori Anders in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

The silence that followed was broken when Blackfire cleared her throat.

"Sorry," she said softly when several sets of eyes looked at her, demanding that she stay silent.

"Who is it that gives this woman to be wedded to this man?" Father McDonald asked.

"I. . . I do," Galfore said, finding that he had to clear his throat first.

Father McDonald nodded and Kori stepped up to stand beside Richard. "Richard, Kori, you are about to undertake the most solemn vows that a man and woman can give to each other. In so doing, your lives will be forever linked. I ask you one last time, are you certain that you are entering into this union freely and willingly?"

Kori and Richard looked at each other for a moment, then back at Father McDonald. "We are," they said in unison.

"Very well. Do you, Richard, take Kori to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? To cherish your union and love her more each day than you did the day before? Will you trust her and respect her, laugh with her and cry with her, loving her faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles you may face together? Do you give her your hand, your heart, and your love, from this day forward for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you, Kori, take Richard to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love? To cherish your union and love him more each day than you did the day before? Will you trust him and respect him, laugh with him and cry with him, loving him faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles you may face together? Do you give him your hand, your heart, and your love, from this day forward for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do, with all my heart."

Father McDonald smiled softly at Kori. "The rings please." Nie'l, and Kir'a each stepped forward carrying a small pillow on which rested the wedding bands. "Traditionally, wedding rings are a simple golden band, signifying the unending love of the couple that exchanges them. Having taken their vows to each other, Richard and Kori will now exchange rings."

Richard smiled at Nie'l as he took the ring from the pillow. He took Kori's left hand in his. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." As he spoke the last three words he slid the ring onto her finger.

Kori took the ring from Kir'a's pillow, then took Richard's left hand in hers. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." Like Richard, she slid the ring onto his finger as she finished speaking.

"By the taking of vows and exchanging of rings, you have shown to those present your commitment to each other. That which God has brought together, let no man cast asunder. By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Richard, you may kiss your bride."

Richard lifted the veil, then slid his arms around Kori's waist and they kissed. Afterward they turned and faced the congregation.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Grayson."

There was light applause from the guests, and Richard offered his arm to Kori. They walked down the aisle from the alter with the bridesmaids and ushers falling in behind.

"Okay, back inside for pictures," Richard announced after they had all gathered outside. Having the wedding party take their places at the front of the church, a photographer stepped up and took several shots, then took shots of just Richard and Kori, then Richard and Kori with Father McDonald. After all the pictures were taken, they headed out to the limo for the ride to the reception.

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"I think I got some rice down my back," Richard complained softly as he waited for Kori to come out of the bathroom at the hotel where they rented the room for the reception.

"Let me help you with that," A voice said from behind him. Before he could turn he felt a slight vibration on his back. When he turned he saw three grains of rice on the dark blue rug, and a laughing pair of blue eyes looking at him.

"Wally!" Richard said smiling broadly. "I thought none of you guys were gonna make it."

Wally West looked around to see who all could hear their conversation. "Well my fearless leader decided that I could come, because I can get back quickly if I have to."

Just then, Rachel came out looking more than a little put out.

"What's wrong, Rache?"

Rachel blew out a frustrated breath. "Nothing, Richard," she said, her voice controlled as usual. "Shel'b is helping her with her hair, and she'll be out once she's convinced herself that she isn't going to do something wrong." She looked around and sighed with relief when she saw no one around. "This should help," she said then put her first two fingers on Richard's head. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos." Her eyes and fingers glowed white for a second. "Now maybe you can think some sense into her."

Richard blinked for a moment, the image forming in his mind of Raven sitting on the couch in the common room, and Starfire sitting beside her, and showing her the bump on her forehead at the start of her transformation. He chuckled as she went through a gradually worsening list of illnesses she thought she might have. "I see what you mean."

"Is she still in there?" Blackfire asked as she walked up. "I'll go get her."

"That will not be necessary, sister," Kori said as she walked over to them. "I have done the getting over it, Rachel, and you were correct. Richard's own confidence in me was enough to get me through my nervousness.

"Woah, Sta. . .I mean Kori, you're. . . .wow," Wally gasped.

Richard smiled as he slid his arm around Kori's waist as she blushed.

"Dudes! Dick, I gotta thank you for the veggie dishes on the buffet," Garfield said as he ran up.

"Well, Kori, we have guests waiting, shall we go greet them?"

At her nod, he slid his arm from her waist. He offered it to her, and they walked to the room where the reception was waiting. As they reached the door he heard the band stop playing and a drum roll start.

"Honored guests and friends, it's my pleasure to introduce the reason for our being here," Victor said. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Grayson."

There was a polite amount of applause then the band started playing a waltz.

"May I have this dance?" Richard asked.

Kori giggled as she nodded and they started dancing. After a moment, they were joined by the other couples.

"I believe the phrase is, may I cut in?"

Richard looked back and saw Galfore standing there. Letting go of Kori's hand, he bowed slightly. "It is, and you may."

"Besides, it's my turn to dance with him," Rachel said.

Kori watched as Richard and Rachel stepped away, turning in time with the music. Galfore's speaking brought her back to closer things.

"I spoke truly, several years ago, but seeing you now shows me that I was wrong. I have truly never seen a more beautiful bride than I have today." He looked warmly at her. "I am very glad that you have finally gotten your chance to bond with and marry one who you love. I hope you continue to have the happiness you now share."


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 41

Robin stood at the front of the room and looked out nervously at the sea of faces. Seated in orderly rows were the groups of younger Tamaraneans. All under the age of fourteen, although he knew that one group near the front was made up of those who turned that age this month. On Monday, they would stand before Nie'l and take their Oath of Acceptance.

He hoped that after this talk, they would take that Oath, and their Emperor, more seriously.

"Shavota, pe va Robin du Terranah," he said. "Greetings, I am Robin of Earth. I'm not here today as Vido'an Rob'n, or even Shovaka Rob'n. I am here as aduna du Vidak'an Koriand'r. Four months ago I was honored by her asking me to take the Oath of Bonding with her. Therefore, the slights against her honor are also slights against mine, as her life partner."

"And you intend to stop them, ruthasha?"

Robin was slightly relieved at the shocked gasp from most of the avani. "Right now, I don't want to know who said that, but I will answer that question. Yes, I do intend to stop them, if not by talking some sense into you, then I'll be willing to meet you in a shavek hifa."

Robin paced a few steps to the right of the podium he was standing behind. "Although I will admit that I doubt such a warrior, or candidate, would have the honor necessary to meet me in that fashion. I don't mean that none of you here has a sense of honor, however, part of the Oath of Acceptance and Reaffirmation is that you'll obey the commands of your Grand Ruler. With that comes a certain respect for the person that holds that post. It's been said that Koriand'r, or Starfire, in my language would be a weak or ineffective ruler. If that's so, how was she able to pass the Trials of the Okarran Warlords? She has, twice, beaten Komand'r, her sister, in challenges for the crown. Then there was this."

Robin walked to the side of the stage, and a huge video screen slid down. "This is a feed from the security videos of the VILTHUR'L," he told them. "The alarm you are hearing is due to a engine core containment breach in progress. Galfore and others were not sure why the Communications Officer took the time and effort to transmit this to a relay station until . . . . ."

The picture froze, catching Starfire as she entered the frame. "She was aboard, returning to Earth after easing the tensions on Tamaran," Robin said, then the video began again. They all watched silently as Starfire tried unsuccessfully to get the attention of several of the warriors going past her. With her frustration clearly written on her face, she crossed over to a communications terminal and punched a button. She took the microphone that popped out and started speaking into it. Robin sighed, as he didn't have to translate this time.

"Enough!" she shouted. "This is the Empress! Is this not a ship full of warriors? You are not a training cadre on it's first training cruise." Starfire's amplified voice seemed to cut through the panic that seemed to grip the warriors in view. "Follow your training and evacuate the ship."

"Mik'l, Shar'n, get them to the escape pods, quickly." Starfire ordered, as she replaced the microphone. The three of them started organizing the evacuation of the ship, ensuring that no pod left unless it was full. "Now to check the engineering section to make sure everyone got out."

"Highness, there is no time," Mik'l protested, but it fell on deaf ears as Starfire quickly moved out of the cameras range.

The computers count down to core detonation was down to one minute when her voice came from off camera. "Get into your pod and eject, I have the Chief Engineer, and I will take him with me, although I do not believe he still lives. At the least he will receive a warrior's funeral."

Just then Starfire came into view carrying a limp figure. Right as Starfire was about to enter the pod, there was a bright flash and the picture went to static.

"She took the time to go look for another to ensure that he or she would at least get a warrior's funeral. That, at least, shows that she has the compassion needed to be a good ruler."

"And earned her the name peta jevo aboard the SHRASS."

Robin noticed that the voice was the same one as before. "I don't know who you are, but I know that you were either aboard a fighter, or near a communications station when the Gordanians came," he said. "Yes, they did call her peta jevo, or little cat aboard the SHRASS. Belittling her by telling her that she had no strength there, that she could not escape. But escape she did."

"With help."

Robin gave a derisive laugh. "Of course with help. She was alone on a strange planet, and very very angry about that," he said. "I know that any **one** of you wouldn't have faired as well as she did. She took out four guards when she escaped, and when we fought together, she more than held her own."

"That brings me to another thing. Her membership of the Titans has been called into question," he said as the rest of the team joined him, including Starfire, Shel'b and Chr's. "It's been said that she's still a member because of her relationship with me. To be totally honest, things would be much less complicated if she was **not** a Titan, but I won't deny Earth and Jump City such a powerful defender."

"And what of Tamaran, and her obligation to us?"

Robin didn't answer, but the video screen came to life, showing Kalvane'r and Starfire on the roof of Titans Tower. This time his words were translated from Gordanian to English.

Kalvane'r shoved Starfire back against the air conditioning unit, pinning her there as he held onto her shoulders, floating a few inches above her.

"You will go willingly when Trogaar arrives to take you to the Citadel. If not, I will release evidence that will condemn your sister for the deaths of your family."

"You are insane! I know that Komand'r did not do those things. I will never. . . ." Starfire began, but was cut off.

"If you do not go with Trogaar to the Citadel, then I will enjoy seeing your reaction as the fleet is reduced to shattered, lifeless hulks, and this precious Earth of your is made a lifeless cinder, along with Tamaran. It is your choice, Empress. Go with Trogaar, or watch everything you hold dear go up in flames. Your sister, disgraced, and Tamaran and Earth destroyed."

The screen went black and slid back up. Robin knew he was supposed to speak, but he was joined by the rest of the Titans who were staring, stunned, at a now very nervous Starfire. They knew of Kalvane'r's threat against Blackfire, but that was it.

_'I did not wish to burden you with the knowledge of what all he threatened me with, my husband.'_

Starfire's mental message was enough to break Robin from his shock. As was the next voice to speak.

"One of the lessons that I learned the hard way is that diplomacy is a necessary part of a Grand Ruler's personal make up," Blackfire said as she walked up to the stage. "That, along with wisdom and compassion. Faced with the ultimatum you just saw, Koriand'r planned on surrendering herself to Trogaar and to go to the Citadel," She floated up onto the stage to stand beside Starfire and face the crowd and cameras that were broadcasting the proceedings throughout the fleet. "She was going to do that to save me, the one who was responsible for her going to the Citadel in the first place. She was also going to do it to save each and every one of you. That is the mark of a true ruler. One who would lay down her life for her subjects. Her making that sacrifice for this planet we are now orbiting more than enables her to take the title of Teen Titan."

Blackfire looked down when she felt something touch her hand and saw that Starfire was now holding it.

"Now, as far as my making Sher'l, Nie'l's sister, a warrior and member of my personal guard, despite the fact that she was only eleven years old," Starfire said. "First of all, as Empress, I do not need to explain my actions to anyone. However, despite the personal pain this is going to cause those close to me, this must be done."

The video screen again came to life, showing the hanger deck of the ROSHON'R as Robin returned from the area that had been set aside for the challenge, he glanced around and was satisfied that his Guard was well positioned and alert. They could see him smiling as he looked at Starfire from about ten feet away. The camera's angel was from behind her and to her left. Suddenly, a warrior took a step forward and his hand could be seen glowing red, and several things happened at once, all picked up on the tape.

"KORI, GET DOWN!" Robin bellowed, as he jammed his finger on his distress beacon, as he saw a motion, nearer to Starfire, but further to his left.

"Azarath. . . . .Metrion. . . ." Raven started her chant in preparation of shielding Starfire, as Robin started to run.

"Highness! Look out!" A young female warrior shouted. Just as the red glow flashed, she leapt into the air, intending to push her Princess to safety.

It half worked.

They saw Robin wince as he heard the painful scream as youngster was slammed into Starfire by the star bolt. Unable to brace himself on the run, Starfire's sudden arrival threw them both to the floor.

"Seize him!" they heard Mik'l's voice shout, as Robin got to his knees and checked on Starfire.

"Raven! Over here!" he shouted seeing the blood on Star's back and legs. "Kori, where are you hurt?"

"I am not the one injured, my love," she replied as she quickly crawled over to where a small form lay on the floor. "Sherana, can you hear me?" she asked as she knelt beside her and gently pulled her into her lap. She had seen the horrible wound on the youngsters back, and knew that even if a healer were here now, it wouldn't help.

Raven saw that the wound was beyond what she could heal, but she couldn't bring herself to turn away.

"Highness, you are safe?" Sher'l asked softly.

"Thanks to you, kinacha, now rest, a healer is on the way."

They saw Sher'l smile softly, "A wasted effort, Highness," she said softly. "My training in star bolt injuries was last year; I will not survive this."

"Sherana, I am so sorry," Starfire said, blinking away her tears, her hand gently brushing a few strands of brown hair from the youngsters face.

"Shalocfa, you will take care of her, yes?"

"Yes, little warrior, to best of my ability."

"Then she will be safe," she said, smiling, then her body shook with a chuckle.

"Wa. . .what do you find amusing?" Robin choked out.

"Little I may yet be, but I have not earned the title of warrior."

Robin's hand went to his mask, lifting up the bottom edge letting the build up of tears slide down his cheeks. "I am sure that the Princess can find a special circumstance and make an exception in your case. Remember, I have her favor."

"I remember Robin; my brother and I thank you deeply for that." she said, then grimaced in pain. "Highness, I never had the opportunity to redeem my honor. Please do not let my indiscretions blemish Nie'l."

"Redeem you honor?" Starfire half sobbed. "X'Hal, Sherana, you have proven yourself more honorable than many warriors with your sacrifice on my behalf. Your name will be remembered with the full honor of a warrior of my personal Guard. This I give you as my word of honor."

There was silence for a moment. "Highness, why does it not hurt anymore? I fear what it means, please bring the pain back."

"Hush, little one, it is you body's way of trying to heal itself."

Sher'l's body shuddered again as she coughed, and Robin saw a small tendril of blood seep from the corner of her mouth. "The taste of my own blood in my mouth brands you a liar, Highness. But I forgive you, as you mean to ease my fears. Despite the actions of my past, I have always looked up to you, and wished I could be like you."

"You have become something even more special, Sher'l; you are yourself, and I will sorely miss you."

"What they say is true, Highness, near the end it grows cold and dark. Do not grieve overmuch, Highness, I am simply your handmaiden, my life for yours is and exchange I gladly make. May X'Hal watch over. . . ."

Starfire felt the breath leave Sher'l's battered body and watched the life fade from her eyes. "May X'Hal guide your spirit to a better place," she said softly as she passed her hand over the youngsters face, closing her eyes for the last time. With the exception of the occasional sniffle, the hanger was completely silent.

"Che Vana du Shepa vat rovana, san shovaka va que X'Hal roka." Starfire said only loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the bay.

The room was absolutely silent as the screen faded to black. After a moment, Robin stepped to the edge of the stage. "Can one of you tell me about the Warrior's Sacrifice?" he asked, his voice gravelly.

Several hands went up, and Robin saw that one of the ones that didn't was a avana he had been told to watch for. "Avana, Kayl'a," he called. "The honor is yours."

All eyes turned as the young black haired girl stood. "The Warrior's Sacrifice is the giving of a single warrior's life to prevent the deaths of his or her comrades, or in the protection of the Grand Ruler."

"Thank you," Robin said. "Is that what you just saw?"

"Yes, Highness, it was," Kayl'a replied, staring straight ahead.

"Is it the act of a coward, Avana?" Starfire asked. Kayl'a answered, but no one more that five feet from her could have heard her. "Avana, you were asked a question, by a warrior, you will answer in the proper manner."

"No, that was not the act of a coward,"

"Do you admit to having called not only Sher'l, but Vidok'an Nie'l, a coward?"

"Yes, I did that, and in front of witnesses."

"And afterwards, Nie'l attacked you, did he not?" Shel'b asked.

"He did."

"The results of that was a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose, correct?" Chr's asked.

"Yes."

"No burns?" Raven asked.

"No," Kayl'a replied, her expression changing to one of confusion.

"I see that surprises you Kayl'a," Raven said. "You said those things to him to get him to lose control of his anger, didn't you?"

"Yes, but if I was not burned, then. . . ."

"Very good, you can think," Raven said. "He kept control. He got simply furious, and rightfully so, but through it all he kept control of himself."

Kayl'a took a step back, turned to her right, then dropped to her left knee, her head bowed. "My Lord, I beg your forgiveness. I have been told that no one had to pull you off me. That you stopped yourself from injuring me any worse. I had only heard of what Sher'l did to earn the Empress's favor and did not believe it."

"Kayl'a, you may rise," Nie'l said, and she stood. Nie'l looked at her for a moment, then stepped into the aisle that ran beside where his cadre was seated. "I have been the target of many jokes and jests at your hands. That will happen no more, shavek hifa or not. It that clear?"

As a unit, they stood then dropped to their left knee. "Yes, my Lord," they chorused.

"Thank X'Hal that is over," Starfire sighed as the rest of the cadres knelt to Nie'l

"As the Grand Ruler commands," they said as one.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Kori, why didn't you tell me?"

Starfire tried to put off answering Robin's question as she tossed some more peanuts to the squirrels. She sighed softly when she realized that she had run out of the treat for them. Instead of facing him, she looked out over the bay to the horizon.

"Because of what you would have done if I had," she said then turned to face him. "You would have tried harder to persuade me from going, and I was convinced that in so doing would have caused the destruction of both our worlds." She walked over to him and hugged him gently. "Robin, you have no idea how close you came to convincing me to stay aboard the ROHA'N."

"Kori, we would have helped you."

"Then I would not have been able to protect all of you. Robin, I knew that if I told you, the Titans, not just you personally, that the Earth was in danger, all of you would have been out there to try to protect me. But with just my sister endangered, Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy would not have a need to do so."

"Kori. . . ."

"Robin, who was in danger?" she asked, then went on to answer her own question, counting off each point on her fingers. "Blackfire, my sister. As the only other member of our family, I had no choice but to protect her," she touched off another finger as she continued. "Tamaran, and our fleet. As a warrior, let alone a member of the Royal Family, it is my duty to protect them, even to the point of giving my own life for them. Again, I had no choice. And lastly, but by no means the least in my heart, Earth, my adopted home." She took out and held up her Titan communicator. "As long as I have the honor to carry this, and draw breath, no force will endanger this world."

"But you knew that I would be out there with you."

Starfire took Robin's left hand in hers, and removed his glove, her thumb gently rubbing over the band of Tamaranean steel on his ring finger. "In that I was most selfish, and for a time feared that I had condemned you to a life as a slave to the Citadel. Forgive me, my husband, if I could not face that alone." She took as few steps from him, then glanced back over her shoulder at him. "To be honest, my love, I took the leaping of faith, that you would find a way out of that." she stepped back to him and traced her fingers over his cheek. "I am most gratified that I was correct. If Telvaar had not kept his word, we would have broken free.

Robin half sighed half growled as he pulled her into a embrace. "The next time, Mrs. Grayson, you make sure you have all the help you can."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 42

The motorcycle pulled into a parking spot in front of the triangular shaped building. The yellow, red, and green paint scheme of the high performance bike matched the outfit of its driver, making both easily recognizable. The passenger was equally recognizable even with most of her red hair covered by her helmet. Her purple and lavender outfit gave away her identity.

As he waited for Starfire to dismount the R-cycle, Robin looked at the imposing structure that was Jump City's maximum security prison. He looked back as Starfire put her helmet on the back of the seat. "You sure you want to do this, Star?"

"Not only do I wish to do this, but I am honor bound to," she replied. "If the situation was reversed, you would wish to be told."

Robin couldn't argue with that, but that didn't mean that he liked the idea. At least he knew that Starfire was aware that he wasn't pleased with her speaking to Red X. As they walked toward the entrance, he heard her annoyed sigh.

"He is no threat or competition for you, my husband. Although I can not say that he was not in the past, I assure you that those circumstances will not be repeated. This jealousy of yours is a human trait that I wish you did not have."

"Human trait, Star?" Robin asked as he held the door open for her. "So it wouldn't bother you if Kitten had managed to capture me for any length of time?" He smiled softly as he saw her eyes narrow and glow slightly.

"She would not dare," she growled.

"Do I detect the green eyed monster?" Robin asked with a chuckle.

"My eyes have always been green, Robin," Starfire replied. "It is not jealously, but the anger at her for harming you, and my having to rescue you."

Robin almost chuckled at the image that came through their bond. Kitten was securely tied to a table as Starfire slowly poured and container of blortha worms over her. He knew he shouldn't tease, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. "I could think of worse people to be captured by."

As Robin knew it would, that statement brought Starfire to a stop. "Do you mean that you. . . .that you would prefer. . . .?

"To be captured by her rather than Slade? Certainly," he finished for her. "But only barely," he added as he shuddered at the thought.

He swallowed nervously at the frosty look that Starfire was now giving him. "You have made your point, Robin," she said coolly. "I trust that you will enjoy eating your evening meal, alone, at the restaurant of the Italian."

Robin opened his mouth to protest, but kept silent when he saw that they had reached the check point leading to the cell blocks.

"Good afternoon, Robin, Starfire," one of the men behind the counter said.

"Good afternoon, Warden Marshdale," Robin said, handing the other man his utility belt.

"Sign here please," he said, passing over a clipboard with a receipt for the belt and two rectangular badges.

"Sign your name here, Star," Robin said pointing to a point on the log sheet. Once she had signed, she joined him as he stood before a large barred door.

"On the gate!" the uniformed man shouted, and a loud buzzer sounded as the door slid to one side. They walked through to a small room, their way blocked by another barred door.

"Easy, Star," Robin said softly when she jumped at the loud clang of the door behind them closing. The buzzer sounded again, and the door in front of them slid ponderously open.

"If you'll follow me, please," a guard said, then turned and lead the two of them down the cell block corridor.

Robin was glad that he had warned Starfire about what the behavior of the inmates might be. The problem was that he hadn't prepared himself for the cat calls and wolf whistles that echoed off the concrete walls.

"Hey, babe," one particularly brave, or foolish, inmate said, pressing his face between the bars of his cell door. "I can show you what a real man is like."

Robin tensed as Starfire stopped and faced the man. The look of revulsion on her face was easy to read as she looked the man over. "You have not the decency to obey your own laws," she told him.

"Miss, stop," the guard warned as Starfire walked toward the cell.

"Do not worry. He will not harm me, **that** I can assure you," she said. "Now what is it you wish to show me?"

Robin winced at the openness of the question, but almost laughed when the inmate's hand darted out, attempting to grab Starfire. He shook his head as Starfire easily grabbed it, and twisted sharply.

"I will not endure insults from the likes of you, criminal, nor your touch," she said softly.

"My arm! You're breaking it!"

Starfire pushed slightly as she released the arm. "Be thankful that I did not." Robin gaped at her as she spun on her heel and walked back over to them. "You may proceed, Officer. . . .Cranston," she said reading the name tag the guard wore.

The rest of the trip down the corridor went in silence.

"Here we are, meeting room six," the guard announced stopping in front of a plain white door. A black plaque with white letting confirmed it. "The door will lock when it closes behind you. Press the button on the table when you want to be let out, and this if an emergency arises."

"I assure you that I will not need this," Starfire said as she took the device from the guard. "We are agreed, Robin? You will wait out here?"

"Yes, Star, I'll wait here."

The guard said something about having to go on rounds, and as he left, Starfire entered the room.

"Hello, cutie."

Starfire smiled softly at the young man on the other side of the table in the room. It and two chairs were the only furnishings. "I hope they are treating you well, Red X."

"Well enough," he said and noticed how she narrowed her eyes when she saw his handcuffs. "These are standard procedure, or so they told me." He felt a lump in his throat when she looked away, but not before he saw the sadness in her eyes.

"I would prefer that you were not here."

"You tried, Empress. More than I thought you would. Why did you tell the judge that I didn't kidnap you?"

"I had taken an oath to tell the truth, and that is what I did. You did not kidnap me. You rescued me, and helped me recover from my injuries. After that, I stayed with you of my own free will." She walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I only wish I could have done more."

"You did enough. With the charge of kidnapping dropped and the extenuating circumstances of my taking Jennifer Ramsey, I only got five years. Two, if I behave myself."

"I believe that you will do just that, Rex."

"What did you just call me?"

"Rex. It is a shortening of Red X," she explained. "Robin calls me Star, and the others have shortening of their names that they call each other. As my friend, I have decided to call you Rex in more. . .personal moments."

"I take it bird boy doesn't know?"

"Do not press your friendship too far, or insult my husband. Yes, he knows. You are correct that he is not pleased with our friendship, but he also knows that he can not stop it." Starfire sat on the edge of the table. "Twice you saved my life for whatever reasons you had. I do not believe that you saved me the second time simply for monetary gains. If that was true, you would not have tried to help Robin and the Titans get me away from Slade. Nor do I believe you would have helped Nie'l."

"Speaking of the kid, he was more than a little angry that being Emperor of Tamaran has very little influence with the legal system. Also, Pe dexano que shu san che bevana du he kinacha."

"You grieve with me for the loss of my child? How did you. . . .where did you learn that?"

"A certain eleven year old, who is young enough to not allow some things from keeping him from making certain friends."

"Nie'l visited you?"

"Yesterday," Red X replied then chuckled softly. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm a criminal, I'd have been made a Warrior of Tamaran and he would have demanded my freedom or it would be war."

"I must talk with him about his thinking he can use military might to force his way."

"So how close can our friendship be?" Red X asked, deciding to change the subject.

"As I have said, you have saved my life, twice," Starfire replied. "I would hope that I can count you as one of my close friends. However, that will depend on your actions after you are released from here."

"That's almost enough to make a guy go straight, knowing you're out there waiting for him."

"Do not misunderstand me. I will not be waiting for you in the manner I believe you mean," she said. "All we ever will or can be is friends."

Red X nodded and watched as Starfire pressed the button on the table. A moment, later the door was opened by a guard.

"I wish you well until we meet again," Starfire said, then left.

The young thief sighed as he looked at the closed door. "You may not be waiting for me, cutie, but a guy can hope and dream."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The walk back through the cell block was quiet. Not only from the inmates side, but between Robin and Starfire as well.

That is, until they went to pass one cell in particular.

"Well, if it isn't Starfire of the Teen Titans," the man called.

Starfire stopped and looked over at the cell, her head cocked to one side. "I know that voice," she said softly.

"Hey, man," another inmate called. "Watch what you say. She ain't so nice when she's mad."

Ignoring the warning, he spoke again. "Ah, she ain't all that great," he said, and the guard pulled his radio from his belt when he saw Robin tense. "Me and a couple of buddies found out she ain't perfect," he continued. "Did ya enjoy your stay at the hospital?"

Robin saw Starfire's eyes widen as she gasped in recognition, then narrow as they flared green, as did her hands. In his mind's eye he saw a litter strewn alley, and three young men standing in a semicircle before him, each holding a club of some type. He gasped in shock when he realized that he was seeing, from Starfire's point of view, when Benny the dart and his friends attacked her.

"You! You are the one with the bat of baseball!" she shouted as she took a menacing step in his direction. "Shu vaya zale san quomo shu cana a na!"

Robin quickly stepped in front of her, stopping her advance. "Starfire, stop. He's been tried and sentenced. He's paying for what he did to you."

Starfire didn't cool down as she glared at Robin. "How is he paying for what he did?" she demanded. "He still lives. Pe vat Koriand'r, du che Tecar Dern'ek du Tamaran!"

_'I know you're of the Royal Family, Kori,' _Robin said through their bond. _'This is not Tamaran. He is being punished under our laws.'_

"And if I do not think that is enough?"

"Then you will be breaking the oath we all took when we formed the Titans." He sighed softly as she cooled her bolts. "We're heroes, Star. We don't kill unless absolutely necessary."

Without a word, Starfire turned and headed down the corridor. After passing through the checkpoint, Robin retrieved his belt and they headed for the parking lot.

"Star, come on," Robin called as they neared the R-cycle. He pulled up short when she turned to him, her face a study in anger.

"To what purpose, Robin?!" she demanded. "You have made clear to me that you will defend him from me. Pity you were not there six months ago to defend me from them," she spat, and she saw Robin cringe slightly as he picked up her next thoughts. "Or perhaps had you been there that day you would have joined them!"

Despite the fact that he knew it was coming, hearing her say those words made him stagger backwards a step in shock. "Star, you don't mean that. Do you?"

Starfire swallowed as she realized what she said, and felt not only the fury from Robin but the over powering hurt and betrayal. And his control as he clamped down on the reflex to strike out at her. As she hesitated in answering him, she felt his anger jump to the fore as he turned his back on her. "Robin, I. . . ."

"Just go, Starfire. We're both angry right now, and we need to cool off before we can talk about this."

"Mathad, this is to be our sivanar, our honeymoon. I do not want. . . ." she said but trailed off when he shrugged out from under that hand she put on his shoulder. "When you are able to speak to me again, I will be waiting at the garden in the park," she said softly, then flew off.

Robin stood there for a moment, refusing to turn and watch her fly off. He didn't realize just how tightly he was clenching his fist until he heard the soft squeaking sound of the leather as his knuckles threatened to split through. With a sigh, he put his helmet on and rolled the R-cycle back out of the parking spot. Settling himself behind that handlebars, he was about to start the engine, but held off when he saw a man trotting towards him.

"Robin, thank God I caught you before you left," he said, panting to catch his breath. "I thought Starfire was with you."

"She went on ahead, Commissioner Barkstone," Robin said. "What is it you want?"

"I heard about Starfire and your run in with Luke Wilson," he replied. "I almost wish you would have let her take him out."

"Commissioner. . . . ."

"I know, Robin, I know. You were completely right in stopping her," he said, then his face suddenly took on an expression of realization as he looked of into the sky. "You didn't have a fight over that, did you?"

"Commissioner, I know you didn't come out her to discuss a shouting match between an inmate, myself and Starfire."

Deciding, from the tone of Robin's voice, that it was better to change the subject, Victor did just that. "Joe Wineman and Benny "the dart" Janson, were having their final medical exams this morning. Unfortunately, the nurse forgot what ward she was working on, and left Benny unattended with a medicine cart. They say she should wake up in about four hours."

"Benny's escaped?!" Robin asked in alarm. He remembered all too well the threats he had made against himself and Starfire at the trial.

"Yeah, and he had taken Joe Wineman with him, but he's no longer a problem."

"Recaptured already?"

"No, he simply tried to hold up the wrong convenience store. He shoved a gun into the owners face and demanded the money from the register. Instead he got four rounds from a forty-four bulldog. Turns out that Joe's gun wasn't loaded."

"You charging the owner?"

"Not a chance. The DA wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole, besides there's no way he could have known Joe's gun was empty."

"So Benny is still out there?"

"Yeah, and I've heard that he's also gotten a hold of some firepower. Big stuff, too." He studied the young crime fighter for a moment. "I know the answer, but I have a duty to ask," he said. "Is there any way I could get the two of you to either come in for protective custody, or assign some officers to guard you?"

"No. Thank you, Commissioner, but neither is an option. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Victor Barkstone watched as Robin closed the face shield of his helmet, and started the bike. He was glad for the breeze as it blew the smoke from the back tire away from his face. "I hope you can handle him, kid, I really do," he said to the rapidly moving bike.

Robin touched the button on his handlebars that activated his communications system. "Starfire, come in." He turned his head as he heard the tones of Starfire's communicator, and he remembered that she put it in the storage compartment under the seat earlier. _'Kori, can you hear me?'_ he called through their bond, and got no answer. Getting no answer, he quickly shifted gears and smoked his tire again as he brought the engine of the R-cycle to the red line on the tachometer.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 43

Starfire walked along, absently trailing her fingers over several of the different blossoms in the garden section of the park. She smiled softly as she looked over at the clearing where she and Robin had their picnic right before she had gone to the VELANC'R. She wondered if there would be any more picnics that they would enjoy.

She knew that her hesitation in answering Robin had angered him, and she asked herself the same question. Several times. Did she truly think that Robin would have joined with her three attackers? Each time the answer came to her instantly: Absolutely not. He would have done as Red X had, and rescued her. She knew that he would have given anything to be there for her, and how he felt he let her down because he wasn't.

She also knew that there had been no warning of the attack. None of the Titans had been threatened. She had simply been the only one to brave the rain to go the the mall of shopping, only to be pleasantly surprised that the rain had stopped. She would have been flying, had it not been for the clean smell of the city after that rain. In her own way, she felt relieved that it was her that happened to fall under Benny "the dart"'s sights. The times that her ordeal played through her mind, she shuddered to think what would have happened if Beast Boy or Raven had been in her place. She admired their powers and their personal strength, but they were both human, or mostly so. With her natural Tamaranean strength, and toughness, she had survived the onslaught of the three of them, if only barely. Neither Raven or Beast Boy would have stood a chance.

Suddenly, she became aware of a sound behind her. The high revving sound of the R-cycles engine warned her of danger. She turned a slow circle, her hands glowing brightly as she took a defensive stance, her eyes looking to see what would cause Robin to be in such a rush. She almost relaxed as she watched the R-cycle clear the hedge, its small thrusters sliding out and cushioning the landing.

"Starfire, you're safe!" Robin shouted as he jumped off the bike and ran over to her. "Why didn't you answer me before?"

"I was so focused on thinking things over that I did not know you had tried to contact me," she replied, as she took the communicator he handed her. "I am sorry that I have given you the fright, but I am capable of taking care of myself."

Robin felt Starfire mentally curse herself for saying what she did. The words were right, but saying them at this moment was not what she wanted.

"I know, Star," he said softly. "What do you say we go to your garden?"

Starfire tilted her head to one side in curiosity. She could feel that Robin was not telling her something. "What is it Robin? What is wrong?" she asked, then her eyes narrowed. "Or do you think that I am unable to keep myself from trouble, that I need looking after?"

"Star, I only said that because I needed you to get angry enough to hit me," Robin said. "Commissioner Barkstone met me in the parking lot, and told me that Benny the dart has escaped, and that he's armed."

"So you do not think that I am capable of defending myself."

"No, Star, it's not that," Robin argued. "Neither of us is safe until Benny is. . .ow!" he said, then grabbed at his shoulder. "Star!" he gasped as he grabbed her shoulder for support, as he fought the wave of dizziness. His other hand went to a compartment of his utility belt, but he found that he couldn't get his fingers to cooperate and take the item out.

"Robin?" Starfire called as she felt Robin's grip on her shoulder weaken as he sagged to the grass. "No!" she gasped as she pulled the small dart from his shoulder. "I must get you back to the Tower. Cyborg will be able to help."

"He won't live long enough to get there," a voice said from behind her.

Starfire turned and instantly recognized the person she saw. "Benny the dart. What did you do to him?"

"Slow poison. Fast enough that you won't be able to find the antidote, but slow enough for him to see you die first."

As Benny finished speaking, Starfire saw him aim a gun in her direction. She recognized it because of the database that Robin had showed her after they watched a movie that Robin had called a shoot em up. Despite her star bolt power, she knew that at this close range, the .45 caliber Thompson machine gun would kill her.

"What do you want from us?"

"Only that you both die," Benny said shouldering the weapon and taking aim. "Keep your hand away from that communicator."

Starfire did, but not just because he had ordered it, but because in her current level of anger, the star bolt that glowed there would have melted it. Thinking quickly, she raised her hand, and gestured at Benny.

"What the. . . . ." Benny gasped as he quickly lowered the weapon. "Yeow, that's hot!" he gasped as he dropped the faintly green glowing gun.

Starfire had to concentrate to keep from making the firearm too hot, and causing the ammunition to explode. Benny's gaping at the weapon gave her the opening she needed.

Starfire flew at Benny, and grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him of his feet. "Now, you will tell me the location of the antidote for Robin!"

"You won't hurt me," Benny managed to get past the pressure of Starfire's hand on his neck and chin. "You do, and he dies."

"Know this, human. He dies, and you will not live long enough to hear his last breath!"

"Starfire, no," Raven said as she materialized a few feet away.

"You can't kill me, you're a Titan."

"He's right, Starfire. Besides, if you kill him, I won't be able to find the antidote."

Benny's eyes widened in fear as Raven floated over to him, her right hand surrounded in black energy.

"Are you going to tell me, or do I have to go in and find it?" she asked.

"You won't touch me, I'm a citizen of the city." Benny struggled to get free from Starfire's grip, but found that impossible, and Raven's hand touched his forehead. "What are you. . . .? No! Get out of my head! Aaahhhhhh!"

Starfire watched as Raven backed away from the now limp form of Benny a moment later. She could feel Raven mentally shaking herself after the contact with his mind.

"He's not poisoned, Starfire. He's only been given a drug that paralyzes his muscles, and a strong sedative. You can put him down now."

"And do it gently," Commissioner Barkstone said as he and several officers walked up.

"Please ensure that he does not escape again," Starfire said as she eased Benny to the ground where two officers grabbed his shoulders and lowered him the rest of the way down.

"We need to get your statement, Starfire."

"I will come to your office later, Commissioner Barkstone. I have more important things to occupy me at the moment."

"Starfire, Raven can take your boyfriend to the Tower or hospital to be checked out," Victor said, and backed up a step when Starfire spun to face him, her eyes glowing green.

"He is **not** my boyfriend! He **is** my husband!"

Victor watched, stunned as Starfire picked Robin up, then the two of them, and Raven, were surrounded by a black bubble which formed into the shape of a raven, then flew off toward the Tower.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Starfire nervously paced in the med-lab of the Tower. Cyborgs scans, and the more powerful equipment of the diagnostic bed Robin now occupied, confirmed the information that Raven had gotten from Benny's mind. Robin wasn't dying, but was simply unconscious.

Despite knowing that, each time she passed the bed he was in her eyes strayed to the monitors, and each time she saw his heart rate, her concern deepened. _'It should not be so slow. Even when he is asleep, it does not drop off so much.'_

"Girl, your gonna wear a rut in the floor if you keep that up," Cyborg said with a chuckle, breaking her train of thought.

"Seriously," Beast Boy chimed in. "Even Robin doesn't pace this much. He usually just sits at your bedside and doesn't move until you wake up."

Starfire stopped pacing and give the boys what she hoped was a winning smile. "I am most sorry, Cyborg, I will be more careful of the floor, but, unlike Robin, I am unable to remain seated at times like this."

Starfire could tell by the look on Cyborg's face that she had not succeeded in fooling him, and as she turned to look at Robin, she could see that Beast Boy wasn't fooled either.

"Gar, Cyborg, could you give us a moment?"

"Sure, Rae. Come on Cy. Betcha I can beat you at Deathrace 5000."

Starfire sighed when Beast Boy's challenge worked.

"In your dreams, grass stain."

Raven waited until the doors closed, then turned and faced her friend. "Starfire, what is it? Normally you'd laugh off Cyborg's comments, then float above the floor." The silence dragged on for a few moments. "Shalay'fa, quomo vat luvara shu?" she asked, stepping over and putting her hand on Starfire's shoulder.

"What is troubling me?" Starfire said, repeating Raven's question. "My actions of late. The reason I did not do the things you suggested is that, at present, I can not fly."

"Can't fly?! Starfire, are you. . . ?"

"It is not like when we crashed on that planet. I am not confused. I have the confidence for my strength, and more than enough anger for my star bolts." she paused as she looked over at Robin. "Raven, if for some reason Robin were to. . . .not make it, he would do so thinking that I think terrible things of him, that I do not love him."

Raven saw that Starfire's hand was shaking slightly as she brushed her fingers over his cheek. "When we were on our way out of the prison, one of the three that attacked me taunted me from his cell. I was surprised and angered when I found Robin blocking my way to him."

"Starfire, that wouldn't tell him that you don't love him."

"Raven, when we reached the parking lot, he tried to reason with me, but instead of listening, I not only reminded him that he was not there to defend me, but I inferred that I thought that if he had been there, he would have joined with them."

"Starfire," Raven said sadly. "You. . ."

"Yes, shalay'fa, I do know better. That is why I was at the park before Robin got there. We both realized that we were too angry to talk at that moment, and that if we both had a chance to calm down and think that we would be able to resolve things." Raven watched as Starfire stood, then began pacing again. "When he reached the park, I could feel his relief at finding me unharmed, but instead of sharing that with him, I argued with him, accusing him of not thinking that I can take care of myself, that I need protecting."

"Star, he's always going to think that," Raven said. "It's part of being a human male to think that females need to be protected, cared and provided for. That's part of his love for you."

"I know, shalay'fa. He was trying to get me to go back to the Tower with him, but instead, I resisted, and now he is there. Raven, I trust Cyborg and his medical knowledge, but I am concerned at Robin's heart rate. I have never felt, heard, or known it to be so slow."

"Star. . . ."

"I know Raven. He says that it is the action of the sedative he was given, but when he was aboard the VELEANC'R and sedated, what I felt through our bond was not what I feel now."

"Cyborg, get up here," Raven snapped into the intercom. "You should have said something sooner, Starfire. We wouldn't have asked why it bothered you."

"What's up, Raven?" Cyborg asked a moment later. "None of the alarms went off."

"Starfire's concerned about Robin's heart rate."

The big Titan sighed softly. "Star, I told you that the combination of. . . .," he began, but cut off when he saw the shocked look on her face as her gaze snapped back to Robin. "Star? What is it?" While he asked those questions he crossed over to the monitors and examined their readouts closely. He recognized that look on Starfire's face. It was the same look she had when Nurse Ramsey had removed Robin's crystal.

"I do not know," Starfire replied, her hand going over where her crystal was beneath her neck piece. "It was almost as if. . ."

"Cyborg, look at this," Raven said indicating the computer monitor she was sitting in front of. "Starfire's right. Robin's pulse is too slow, and it's getting slower."

"Lemme see that," Cyborg said as he looked over the data that Raven had brought up. "It is. Starfire, how did you know?"

"I did not know that his heart was slowing, only that is is too slow now."

"And how are you so familiar with his heart rate?" Cyborg regretted the question almost as soon as he asked it when he saw the way Starfire was blushing and nervously looked away.

"All I will say in answer is that there are times when his chest is more comforting than any pillow," she said softly. Suddenly, her head snapped up and she looked over at the monitors. "Robin!"

Cyborg opened his mouth to speak, but the steady beeping of Robin's heart rate seemed to pause for a split second. A few beats later, it did it again, only a bit longer. The flat line between beats visibly longer than normal

"Starfire, what are you doing?" Raven asked as she watched the redhead assume the lotus position at the head of the bed, about three feet off the floor.

"Helping him," Starfire replied, then slowed her breathing, along with her thoughts. After a moment she put her right hand on Robin's head.

"What the. . . .?" Cyborg gasped as he watched the heart monitor, and the display quickly went from fifteen, to fifty beats per minute. "Raven, how's she doin' that?"

Raven closed her eyes for a moment, and gently reached out for Starfire through their bond. "She's using her bond with Robin to stabilize his heartbeat."

"How long can she do that?"

"As long as I need to, Beast Boy," Starfire replied, her voice soft, almost as though she was talking in her sleep.

Cyborg motioned to Raven and she went over to him. "Can you monitor her or something? I don't know, but it's possible that she might be effected by his metabolism."

"That's why she sounded like she was talking in her sleep," Raven explained. "The combination of the trance she's brought herself to, and the sedative that's effecting Robin." Raven looked over at the two of them. "I'm not saying there's no danger, but she knows what she's doing."

Raven's comment turned out to be right, and a few hours later, Starfire took her hand off Robin's head, then stood up.

"He is out of danger, I believe," she said, then stumbled when she took a step. She would have fallen if Raven hadn't been there to steady her. "Forgive me. I did not know that would take so much out of me," she said as Raven guided her to the chair beside Robin. Her last three words trailed off as she lay her head on the pillow beside Robin's and her eyes closed.

"She's alright, Cyborg," Raven said. "She's just exhausted."

"From what?"

"She's not used to the kind of concentration she had to do. I'm surprised she managed to hang on as long as she did."

"Like she said, Raven, she'd do it for as long as she had to to get Robin out of danger," Beast Boy said.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 44

About two hours later, Starfire's eyes fluttered open and she sat up. After looking at Robin, she looked around and saw the others. Cyborg was seated in front of the monitors, and Raven and Beast Boy were on the other side of the bed.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Raven said. "Is he going to wake up soon?"

"Yes. It should only be a few minutes."

"Star, how did you know how to do that?" Cyborg asked.

"Robin showed it to me while I was aboard the ROHAN. It is how I was able to attend Shel'b's Reaffirmation Ceremony. It is simply a focusing on our bond. Robin did it so he could tell if I was getting over tired or was in pain. His promise to Vern'a to return me to the healing area if either happened; it was the only way she allowed me to go."

"Starfire, where do you think you're going?" Raven asked as a wall of black energy appeared, blocking Starfire's path.

"Raven, after our earlier conversation, I thought you would understand."

"So you're going to prove it to him by not being here?"

"Wait a minute, I'm missin' something," Cyborg said. "Did he get mad at you or something?"

"Actually, it is the opposite. It is I who have gotten angry at him," Starfire said, then related what happened earlier to Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Star, no matter what you said, or did, he knows you love him, and he still loves you."

"Garfield," Raven said angrily.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to say what you were thinking, but you were practically shouting it mentally."

"Beast Boy, I heard the conviction in your voice. I know the words were what was on Raven's mind, but you were not simply repeating them. How can you be so certain?"

In answer, Beast Boy moved over to Robin's side. As if fearing that Robin would wake up and hit him for being so close, he gently pulled on the chain that was around his neck.

"Because of these, Star," he said holding up the crystals. "Even before Robin gave you the serum, this one and the one Blackfire put on you, glowed green. Even then, deep down, you loved him."

"He's right, Starfire," Raven said, feeling her doubt. "While we were on the Watchtower, he asked me about it."

"Why would he discuss it with you and not with me?"

"It was when you were blocking your bond with him. Right after we got you back from Slade."

"But he. . . ."

"Starfire, because you were blocking him, he wasn't sure where he stood with you. Between your actions with Red X, and what you said to him as you fought. . . ."

". . .He thought that I no longer had the feelings for him." Starfire finished, getting a nod from Raven.

"Until I pointed out that the crystals wouldn't work unless you both loved each other."

Starfire sat back down and took Robin's hand. "Thank you, Shalay'fa. You have kept me from making things worse with my foolishness."

"He'll understand, Star," Beast Boy said giving her a soft smile. "We all say things when we're angry." He gave Raven a sidelong look. "Even when we're pretending to be angry," he added, then laughed as he ducked an ill-aimed whip of black energy.

"What makes you think I was pretending?"

"Lesh sevar opak ze kener vu ronder impolte."

Raven's jaw dropped when she heard Beast Boy speak. "The same way you knew I was alive," she said, repeating what he said. "Where. . . .how did you learn Azarathean?" she asked then turned when Starfire giggled.

"Through your bond with him, Raven. The same way you were able to talk to me in Tamaranean before."

"Mmmmm, ugh," Robin groaned, grabbing everyone's attention. "Starfire? Kori, pe loneva shu, e pe lota shu loneva na. Ca naf luvo. Shu vata ne aduna."

"Care to translate?" Cyborg asked, and Starfire managed to take her eyes off Robin.

"Actually, no, I do not," she said blushing slightly.

With a groan, Robin managed to sit up. "It wasn't that personal, Star. I only said it in Tamaranean so there would be no misunderstanding."

"Pe cane naf tarkan shu kisarlana a mirvana he me'jara a shora."

"Why wouldn't I want to show them my feelings?"

"Umm, because your Robin the Boy Wonder, master of secrecy, and almost as good as Raven at keeping your feelings to yourself," Beast Boy said.

"Well, seeing as you're both lookin' as if you're gonna be okay, I'm gonna go back to kickin' BB's butt at Deathrace 5000."

"In your dreams, tin man!"

"What do you mean, we **both** look like we're going to be okay?" Robin asked, stopping Cyborg at the door. He looked over at Starfire, his eyes quickly going from her feet to her head. He relaxed slightly when he didn't see any bandages. "Benny didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"You know that he was there?" Starfire asked.

Robin nodded. "Just before I lost consciousness, I heard him say something about poisoning me, and that I'd live long enough to see you die."

"I was able to disarm him, and Raven was able to learn that you were not poisoned," Starfire said, and fought the urge to chew on her bottom lip as Robin raised an eyebrow. She could feel that he felt there was more to it than that, and she hoped he didn't ask.

"How did you disarm him?"

"The same way that I disarmed Cinderblock when he was breaking into the prison to free Plasmus. I can focus my star bolt energy into metal. I simply made the weapon he had too hot to hold onto."

"So why wouldn't you be alright?"

"She noticed that your heart rate was slower than it should have been, and Cyborg saw that it was slowly getting slower," Raven said. "Starfire used your bond to keep your rate up until the sedative and other drugs wore off enough."

"I know you're newlyweds and all, but take it easy," Cyborg said as he headed for the door. "The drugs aren't completely out of his system yet."

Robin breathed a sigh of relief when Raven followed the other two out of the room. "It doesn't begin to express what I feel, but thanks."

Starfire walked over to the monitors. "If it was not for my arguing with you, we both would have been safe in the Tower. Robin, I said terrible things about you, to you. Can you. . . ." she began, but cut off as a pair of hands touched her shoulders.

"I told you once before that there was nothing that I couldn't forgive you for, if you had a reason. You were angry with me, and I understand your reason for that."

"I am not certain that you do," Starfire said. "One of the hardest things I have had to adjust to as a Titan is the concept of not killing your enemy, but simply taking them prisoner."

"The honor of a warrior depending on the number of the enemy destroyed," Robin said, his fingers gently kneading the tense muscles in her neck. "That and an off worlder not only laying hands on you, but striking you as they did would mean their death on Tamaran."

"Uh-huh," Starfire said as she sighed. "Robin, how do you know when I need you to do that?"

Robin smiled as he felt a knot of tense muscles loosen up under his fingers. "Just lucky, I guess." He was silent for a few moments. "Kori, I know there's more behind what happened with Benny than you told me."

"I was hoping that you would not notice," she said softly. "After you fell to the ground you heard correctly. Benny told me that he had poisoned you. After I disarmed him, I grabbed him with one hand and had the other charged with a star bolt." She looked back over her shoulder at him. "I am not sorry for what I did, although I realize you may think differently."

"What did you do?"

"I told him that if you died, that he would not live to see you take your dying breath. Raven's arrival and the fact that you did not die is all that kept him alive. I would have carried out that threat."

Robin slid his hands down to her shoulders, and turned her to face him. "Do you realize what would have happened to you then?"

"With you gone, I would not care," she replied, locking eyes with him. "I would not try to hide behind my not being from Earth, or my being a Titan. I would have accepted whatever punishment your system of law would have deemed proper."

To her surprise, Robin didn't turn his back on her and walk away. Instead he pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad it didn't come to that."

Starfire rested her chin on his shoulder. "X'Hal, Robin when I think how close he actually came to. . . .taking you from me, and after what I had said." Robin felt her shudder at the thought, then she pulled back slightly to look at him. "I can see that Cyborg was incorrect. You seem able to move well enough."

"Just don't expect me to move very fast, or with much strength," he said. "That hug I just gave you is as tight as I can manage right now."

"Oh, that is most unsatisfactory, Robin," Starfire said, and he chuckled at the playful tone of her voice and the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Are you certain that you are alright?" she asked, her voice now concerned as she felt his hands sliding down her back, stopping at her belt.

"I'm okay, Star. It's just that I'll have to think of a way to make up for my not being able to hug you right."

"And just how. . . . .?" she began, but trailed off as she inhaled sharply. Robin's fingers fanned out over her lower back and pressed. Her eyes closed as he lifted his left hand and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. _'X'Hal, why is it his touch makes me feel this way?'_ she wondered. "Robin, I do not think. . . ." she began, but Robin's speaking cut her off.

"Star?"

"Yes, Robin."

"Stop talking."

Starfire's eyes snapped open at hearing her own words echoed back at her, and she found herself looking into his masked eyes which were inches from her own. She felt his hand slide to the back of her neck, and she didn't hold back at the gentle pressure as he pulled her into a kiss.

They broke the kiss a few moments later as a couple of things happened. First was when Starfire relaxed against Robin and they stumbled as his legs buckled slightly. The other thing was her suddenly realizing where they were. "Robin I do not think this is the best place for this," she said, a little breathless from the kiss. "This is not either of our rooms, and I do not believe that you wish to continue this with the security cameras working."

Robin took a steadying breath, then gave her a lopsided grin. "You've gotta point there."

"I do not wish to leave you right now, but Commissioner Barkstone is waiting for me to come in and make my statement."

Robin nodded. "You want me to come along?"

He could see that she was sorely tempted at his offer, but she shook her head slightly. "No. You need to recover more, and this is something I can do on my own." She turned and crossed over to the door. Just as they opened, she looked back over her hsoulder. "Robin?"

"Yeah, Star?"

"Was that what they call the kissing and making up?"

Robin couldn't help the small chuckle and smile. "Yes, Star. That's what it was."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was a few hours later, and Robin was sparring with Beast Boy in one of the training rooms. He was surprised at the skill that the green Titan was displaying. _'Evidently Rita was a good teacher,'_ he thought to himself as Beast Boy evaded another of his blows, and countered with one that would have snapped Robin's head back if he hadn't pulled the punch. Stepping back, he bowed to Beast Boy.

"Dude, you were so holding back," Beast Boy said as he caught the towel that Robin tossed to him.

"Not as much as you think, Beast Boy," Robin said as he mopped the sweat from his face. "I'll admit at the beginning I was slow and sloppy, but the last half hour or so I've only been holding back a little."

"He's been cheating," Raven said as she walked over from the bench she had been sitting on. "He's been getting your moves through our bonds."

"Heh heh, yeah," Beast Boy chuckled nervously, thinking Robin would get angry.

Instead, all he did was nod. "I thought as much." If he was going to say more, it was cut off as the door opened and Starfire and Galfore walked in. "Star, what is it?" he asked seeing the angry expression on her face.

"I would have been back from giving my statement almost an hour ago, but as I was leaving the police station, I received a message that there was something I had to attend to on the ROHA'N," she replied, giving Galfore a dark look at the end of her sentence. "It. . . ."

"Robin," Galfore said. "The Emperor has ordered your presence with him at the canyon where Sher'l's remembrance was held."

Robin raised an eyebrow at not only the fact that Galfore had interrupted Starfire, but also that he didn't refer to Nie'l by name and that he spoke to him in an almost angry tone of voice. "Star, what's. . . . .?"

"I can tell you nothing more, my husband," Starfire said, and Robin noticed that Galfore frowned at her words. "Only that I must take both my and Nie'l's crystal from you." She looked over at Galfore, her anger at whatever was going on very clear. "I assure you it will be for a very short time."

Robin was surprised at the stern tone of her voice as she seemed not to be speaking to him, but to Galfore. Taking a breath, and steadying himself, he unclasped the chain with the crystals on it and handed it to her. "I don't know what's going on, Star, but it'll be alright."

"I know, Robin," she said and they hugged.

"Koriand'r," Galfore said. "fetan kela xa cana."

"So you say, Regent Galfore. It may have to be done, and I am bound to comply, but that does not make it right, nor does it mean that I like it."

Deciding not to get involved in the argument at the moment, Robin gave Starfire a kiss on the cheek and left.

"Starfire, what's going on?" Raven asked.

"I am most sorry, Shalay'fa, but I can not discuss this even with you."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Robin parked the R-cycle about a hundred yards from the end of the canyon and went the rest of the way on foot. He had only been here one other time since the Remembrance Ceremony for Nie'l's sister, Sher'l. That was to guide some of the people that the young Tamaranean had saved from the high rise fire to the spot so they could place some flowers.

As he walked up to the platform where Sher'l had been cremated, he saw Nie'l on his left knee. Walking quietly, as to not disturb him, he also dropped to his left knee, paying tribute to Sher'l. After a few moments he stood as Nie'l did. "I am here as you commanded, Emperor Nie'l."

Nie'l smiled as he looked at Robin, but it was quickly replaced by a serious expression. "I thank you for taking the time to meet me, Robin of Earth. I have some things I must ask of you."

Robin was curious at his formal tone, and the fact that he didn't address him as father. He tensed when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye, but relaxed when he recognized the red robe of a member of the Ca'ri's guard. "I thought we would be meeting alone, Nie'l."

"And leave him unguarded?" the warrior asked. "Not likely, ruthasha. Also, you will address him properly."

"Tromane'r, you are here at my choice, not the command of the Ca'ri," Nie'l said sharply. "You will be silent, or you will be gone."

"As you command, my Lord."

"What is it you must ask?"

"Have you ever committed a criminal act, Robin?"

"What?"

"If the question is too difficult for you, try this one, ruthasha. Where did the one you call Red X get his suit?" Tromane'r asked.

Robin swallowed nervously as he realized where this was going. "I developed the suit, and had it under lock and key. He broke into the Tower and stole it."

"So you admit that the suit is yours?" Tromane'r asked, then grunted as a red star bolt slammed into him.

"I said that you were to remain silent!" Nie'l shouted. "Leave us, now. This recorder will ensure that my report to the Ca'ri will be complete, though I doubt they will question me."

"My Lord, you can not be left with out a guard."

"As I told the Ca'ri, I have no need of a guard from him. In fact, I can not be in safer hands than when I am with him."

Robin could see the restrained anger on Tromane'r's face at the implied comment that Robin could better protect him than he could, but he had to hand it to the warrior as he brought his right fist to his left shoulder and bowed slightly.

"As you wish, my Lord. I will not be far."

Robin and Nie'l watched as the warrior walked away. Nie'l was the first to break the silence. "I apologize for this, Father. For once, I wish that Blorthog did not happen."

"Nie'l, what's going on?"

"You know that I visited the Red X, yes?" Nie'l asked, and Robin nodded. "In reward for his saving Mother's life, and assisting me in finding her, I considered making him a warrior of Tamaran. However, Galfore and Kim'r pointed out to me that his being a criminal would not allow that."

"So now there's a problem with my being a warrior because I was Red X for a while, right?"

Nie'l nodded. "It is worse than that, Father. Because you were not able to be honored in that manner, not only is your standing as a warrior in doubt, but you bonding to Mother as well." He looked over at the blackened platform. "Because of me, every thing you and Mother have worked for is laid waste."

"Nie'l, you are not to blame for this. I'm the one who became Red X, and I had reasons for that. I'll explain them to the Ca'ri and every thing will be alright."

"But it is my fault, Father. After we talked on the roof of the Tower, I returned to the ROHA'N for the night, and I recounted to Kim'r and Galfore some of the stories that Cyborg and Beast Boy had told me of yours and mother's battles," he explained. "I knew I had said something wrong when they both got very quiet and stopped smiling. At first I thought it was because it was a very serious time for you and Mother. Your first real test of your friendship."

"It's alright, shoka," Robin said putting a consoling hand on his shoulder. "As a warrior, I have the right to present testimony in my defense, correct?"

"I will call Galfore and tell him and Mother to meet us aboard the ROHA'N. You will get your chance to clear your name."


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 45

Robin paced outside the meeting chamber of the Ca'ri. Taking Nie'l's and Kim'r's advice, he had put on his dress armor, but had left behind his sword and utility belt. He wasn't sure which worried him the most: the fact that Galfore and Kim'r had gone into the room almost half an hour ago with Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven, or the fact that Starfire stood about five foot away and wouldn't speak to him, and kept giving the door angry looks.

"Star, why won't you talk to me? Tell me what's going on?"

"Because by our laws I can not," she snapped, then her expression softened. "I am sorry, beloved, but that is all I can say. Please do not ask again."

Robin returned to pacing with a snort of disgust. The only thing that gave him any hope was that she had called him beloved. His head snapped up, and he looked over at the door as it opened and the rest of the Titans came out.

"They want to see you now, Rob," Cyborg said softly. "Good luck, man. I hate to say it, but I think you're gonna need it."

"Thanks, Cy," Robin said and entered the room. He kept his head up and looked straight ahead as he walked toward the 'U' shaped table. He stopped about five feet from it, and looked at the people seated behind it. "I am Robin of Earth, but I am also Rob'n, warrior and prince of Tamaran, aduna of Koriand'r, Empress of Tamaran," he said. "I am here to hear what has been said against me, and to offer testimony to clear my name." He looked at them again, and folded his arms across his chest. "I demand to know who has brought these charges against me."

"That would be me, ruthasha," one of the members of the Ca'ri said leaning forward in his chair. "I commend you on your knowledge of how to present yourself to us. It was well done, for a criminal."

"Payne'r, you will remember who you are addressing," Kova'n snapped. "At present, he is all that he has claimed to be. You will give him the proper respect."

The dark haired Tamaranean glared at Kova'n for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders slightly. "For the moment," he said, then looked back at Robin. "Do you deny that for a time you were known to your unit as Red X, a criminal that aided the one named Slade in acquiring certain items?"

"No, I do not. However, I had reasons for doing what I did." Robin went on to relate events before, and during the time he became Red X. "I also admit that my actions were not the best, and if faced with that situation again, I would handle it differently," he added, and saw Payne'r nod to one of the guards.

"You will surrender your sword, now," the red cloaked warrior said.

"In keeping with you traditions, I am unarmed, as I should be in the presence of the Emperor."

"Interesting that he would think himself safer with you than with an armed escort."

"That would simply be a matter of trust, Captain Tromane'r. Emperor Nie'l knows that he can trust me to guard his life with my own. Evidently, he can not say the same of you."

"You will pay for that insult, ruthasha!" Tromane'r shouted as he stepped forward, his sword half drawn from its scabbard.

"Tromane'r, step back and take your hand from your sword!" Kova'n ordered.

"There is no insult in a statement of fact, Captain," Nie'l said, as he stood and went over to stand beside Robin. "I know what this human has done for myself, my sister, Koriand'r, and Tamaran. These were not the actions of a criminal. They were the actions of a person that Captain Kim'r and Commander Mik'l deemed worthy of being honored by becoming a warrior of Tamaran, and a person I gladly call Father."

Galfore stood. "My Lord, the actions that led to his becoming a warrior are not in question or being debated," he said, then looked away sadly. "However, he committed acts, that by his own laws, are considered criminal."

"As did I," a voice called out from the doorway. "Agreed, Rob'n was acting on his own, while I was under orders from Emperor Myand'r, but the end was the same."

"Commander Chr's, you were not called to this tribunal."

"But I am here to aid my Commanding Officer, my Prince, and my friend. His actions were to save his city from a master criminal. He ensured that the technology he stole was returned to where it belonged, and attempted to have Slade brought to justice."

"Be that as it may," Kova'n said. "Until we reach our decision, he must surrender his sword. His privileges as a warrior will be in abeyance."

"And what of Koriand'r?" Chr's asked.

"He is to have no contact with the Empress. If we find that his acts were criminal and inexcusable, their bonding will be annulled," Galfore said softly.

"Chr's, you will escort him to his quarters and return with his sword." Kova'n said.

Robin stepped to one side, and quickly stripped off his armor, revealing his normal uniform underneath. Without a word, he headed for the door.

"Yo, Robin," Cyborg called. "What's. . . ." he began but was cut off by Starfire's shout.

"No! They can not do this!"

"My Lady, please, you know the laws," Chr's said, as Starfire tried to reach Robin's side. "Until the tribunal reaches a decision he will be stripped of all privileges. I am sorry to say that contact between the two of you is forbidden until he is cleared."

"And if he isn't cleared?" Raven asked.

"Then it will be as if we were never bonded, and I will be recalled to Tamaran," Starfire replied. "Or accept exile." There was silence for a moment, and Robin and Chr's had rounded a corner in the corridor. "No," she said softly then heard Cyborg's gasp as her vision was tinged green. She didn't care that her anger was so plain to see as her eyes glowed brightly. "No, they will not do this," she said in ice cold fury.

"My Lady, stop!" Mik'l called as he saw her quickly flying over to the door.

"Star!" Beast Boy and Cyborg called.

Neither slowed them down as the two voices she would have stopped for remained silent. Neither Robin nor Raven tried to stop her. She stopped for a second to give the door time to open on its own, and when it didn't, she dug her fingers into the edge and pulled. With the shriek of tortured metal, the lock broke and the door slid to the right.

"Koriand'r!" Payne'r called, then caught himself. "My Lady, to what do we owe the honor of this visit?"

"Do not think that I am stupid, Payne'r. You are moving to annul my bonding to Rob'n, and I am here to see that you do not."

"It seems to me that you misunderstand something," Payne'r said. "You are not in a position to give orders here."

Galfore knew and saw that Payne'r had made the wrong choice on how to deal with Koriand'r, as the glow of her eyes brightened and even seemed to ignite into flame.

"Pe va Koriand'r, Shama du Myand'r, Vidak'an du Tamaran," Starfire said angrily. "You will not presume to give me orders. You may advise, but you will **not** interfere with my bonding to Rob'n."

"Who your father was is of no consequence, haglotii. You dishonor your father with your. . . ."

With a growl, Starfire flew at the person who spoke, her hand grabbing the red material of his cloak just below his chin. "You will remember your place, Captain. Or perhaps I need to remind you that I am of the Royal Family."

The star bolt caught her by surprise, and she was thrown back about six feet before she caught herself. She flew back at him, her left to his midsection, and her right cross to his chin landed squarely, as did her kick to his head.

"You will regret that,"

"Tromane'r!" Galfore shouted. Unfortunately for the Captain, it was too late, as he had already started towards Koriand'r, drawing his sword. A large star bolt and eye beam slammed him back against the wall, and he sagged to the floor with a groan.

"Koriand'r! Enough!" Galfore shouted. He sighed when she turned from Tromane'r's now unconscious form. He noted, nervously, that she didn't cool down her star bolts.

"Galfore, I demand to know the meaning of this. You assured me that Robin's testimony was simply a formality. Why has he been stripped of his status?"

"Because Galfore does not speak for this council, Koriand'r," Payne'r said.

"With what you have been shown and told, you are fools if you believe him to be a criminal."

"In your eyes, I am certain that is true; however, we have all of Tamaran to protect."

"And you presume to think that I do not? Take care, Payne'r; your words are close to treason."

"Starfire, calm yourself."

"No, Galfore, do not rebuke her," Kova'n said. "Speaking the truth should not be discouraged." He looked up and saw that Chr's, Shel'b, and the Titans were waiting at the doorway. "I also believe that Chr's was going to explain something in Rob'n's defense."

"All I was going to say was that if Vido'an Rob'n is to lose his standing as a warrior, so should I."

"I have reviewed your record, Commander," Payne'r said. "You are an exemplary officer."

"And as I stated before, at Myand'r's orders, I committed crimes when I sided with Komand'r after Myand'r's death."

"I fail to see how. . . . ."

"I worked with her as she negotiated with the Exalted Sklerch of Drenthax four," Chr's went on. "Convinced my superiors that Tamaran was under a direct threat from their army, when I knew that there was no such army." He looked over at Robin. "I am not surprised that you do not recognize me, Highness. The helmet I wore covered much of my face."

"No, I didn't see your face, but your voice. I've always thought it was familiar. You got me by the guards without being checked for weapons before you put me in the cell with the others."

Chr's turned and faced the council again. "The wedding between Koriand'r and Glrdlesklechhh gave me the opening I had been waiting for. I knew that since Koriand'r's friends had learned that the Drenthax threat was a hoax, that they would not sit by and allow her to go through with the marriage. I convinced Brend'r to let Robin into the cell without being checked for weapons."

"All that was done so that you would be in a position to ensure that Koriand'r's claim to the throne was clear," the only female of the council said.

Chr's gave a slight bow to her. "That is correct, Luta'n," he said. "And Rob'n's, when he became Red X, were to try to place himself in a position to keep his city safe."

Robin saw that the council members didn't seem to be persuaded by Chr's's comments, so he stepped forward.

Starfire watched as Robin approached the Ca'ri. She saw that he hadn't buckled on his sword belt, but carried his sheathed sword in his left hand. "Robin, do not give then your sword."

"Koriand'r, the rekmana is still in effect," Payne'r said.

Raven watched as Starfire closed her eyes as she struggled to keep her anger in check.

Doing so with an effort, Starfire moved over so she was standing beside Robin. "Honored members of the Ca'ri. I have tried to remain patient and calm as, time and again, my relationship with Robin has come under scrutiny and attack. Both my patience, and my being calm about it, has reached its end. My personal life is just that, and no one's business but mine and Robin's. I will not stand for any more interference."

"So you would ignore our laws if we find that he is to be stripped of his status among our people?"

Starfire looked directly at the council member who had spoken, her determination clearly written on her face. "If that is the case, Luta'n, I would accept exile, and the rekma'she."

"Starfire, no," Robin said in shock.

"Robin, when you became my shalocfa, you took an oath to guard my secrets, my honor, and my life. I ask you now to also protect my heart." she said then turned to face his squarely. "Mathad, shu vata ne loneva e ne itera. Pe ca naf kisarla a itarle quenaf shu."

Robin looked into her eyes for a moment, then dropped to his left knee, holding his sheathed sword out to her hilt first. "Koriand'r, you won't have to live without me. As long as I live, I will be at your side, I promise you."

Starfire drew the sword from its scabbard, and lay the blade flat on his right shoulder. "I accept your promise as your word, and your word as your bond. I also pledge to you that as long as I live, I will be at your side."

Robin took the sword and slid it back into its scabbard, then put his right hand on her right shoulder. "I accept your pledge as your bond."

"This is outrageous!" Payne'r shouted. "The rekmana is still in place."

"As I have just said, Payne'r, I welcome any advice from the Ca'ri, but you will not give me orders or commands," Starfire said. "You may submit any but the Royal Family to the separation, but not us."

"You defy us? Defy generations of tradition?"

Starfire walked right up to the table in front of Payne'r, and placed her hand flat on its top. She leaned forward, so that her face was inches from his. "Know this, Payne'r, the Ca'ri can be disbanded, and new members selected by me, or I may do away with it completely." She stepped back and looked at all the members of the council. "I am not defying tradition. I am simply reminding all of you of your place."

"And do not threaten her by saying that she does not have the support of the people," Kim'r said. She tapped a command into the computer and a picture appeared on the monitors by each council member.

"What bearing does a video feed from an armory have on this, Captain?"

"That is not an armory, Payne'r," Galfore said. "It is a storage room just down from Nie'l's quarters."

"They are all swords that are being given to Nie'l, with pledges of support for him, Rob'n, and Koriand'r. The count was finished a short time ago, and they are from every warrior in the fleet, with one or two notable exceptions," she added, looking at the still unconscious Tromane'r and Payne'r.

"May we at least have the privacy to deliberate in private?"

Starfire didn't answer, but simply turned and walked toward the door, with Robin beside her.

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"So, what's this rekmashe thingy?" Beast Boy asked. "I know it's based on rekmas, or what you call the drifting."

"It is pronounced, rek, ma, shay," Shel'b corrected, "The shunning. It would be as if she were dead to us." She looked over to where Starfire and Robin stood talking quietly with Raven. "It would mean the end of a dynasty on Tamaran."

"The And'r family has been ruling Tamaran for over five hundred of your years," Chr's said. "Komand'r and Koriand'r are the last of the family. If neither produces an heir, the other noble families will get their wish and have a chance to take the throne."

"Do not count Koriand'r and Rob'n out just yet, my husband," Shel'b said. "She is still healing, and Vern'a has advised them not to do. . . .certain things for at least two more weeks."

"Providing they are able to stay together,"

"That was quite a performance, Starfire," Raven said. "Pretty intense. Have you been taking lessons from Blackfire?"

Robin smiled softly as he saw Starfire blush. "Not directly," she replied. "However, I realized that being diplomatic was not going to work. Knowing that, I simply asked myself what my sister would do and acted on that."

"Of course, Captain Tromane'r's insults put you in the right frame of mind for that," Mik'l said, and Robin could see the scowl on his face. "If you had not dealt with him, I would have asked to be your champion in a shavek hifa. The nerve of him referring to you as haglotii."

"He called her what?!" Robin demanded.

"Calm yourself, Robin," Starfire said. "As Mik'l said, he has been dealt with." She looked over and saw the questioning look on Cyborg and Beast Boy's faces. "It is a term that describes a female with little to no discretion as to who she. . . ." she began but trailed off.

"The nearest words in your language are either tramp or slut," Shel'b said softly

"Whoa," Cyborg said.

"Dude, how many of this Ane'r family are there?"

"A great many, I am afraid, Beast Boy," Starfire replied. "As Chr's said, my sister and I are the last of my family, but the noble families have been quite prosperous. The battles they will fight, if they have the chance to take the throne, will spill over to the non-noble families and will erupt into a civil war."

They all turned when the door to the council chamber squeaked when it opened. "What news do you bring me, Captain Kim'r, Galfore?" Starfire asked. "Do I remain a Tamaranean, or will I undergo the rekma'she?"

Both Kim'r and Galfore dropped to one knee. "The Ca'ri sends its deepest apologies for interfering with your choice of husband, my Lady. On my own behalf, I can only say that I was acting as our laws required," Galfore said.

"I do not know what frightened them more, Koriand'r," Kim'r said. "Your threat to either disband or replace the Ca'ri, your saying that you would accept the rekma'she, or your sudden change in how you were dealing with them. You are every inch your father's daughter."

"Yes, he would be very proud of you," Galfore said. "What do you wish done to Tromane'r?"

"He will be a First Lieutenant again, and assign him to the guard contingent on Serac," Starfire said, and Kim'r saluted her and turned to carry out that sentence. "Kim'r, hold. I have a better punishment in mind. He will be reduced in rank, then assigned to the Palace Guard."

"Do you think that wise, my Lady?"

Starfire nodded. "Keeping him close will enable Kim'r and Galfore to keep an eye on him. I believe it is one of your Earth sayings, that you should keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was several hours later. The sun had set long ago and Robin and Starfire were in the common room watching a movie. Robin was seated on the floor, and Starfire was laying on her stomach. Robin had removed his gloves, and his left hand was idly tracing designs on Starfire's lower back. His attention to the movie wavered and his brow furrowed in thought as he felt a small ridge on the otherwise smooth skin.

A moment later a commercial came on and Robin was able to turn his attention to what he felt. The lights in the room were lowered, but the full moon threw enough light through the large windows to make up for it. Just above her belt, and to the left of her spine was a scar. "Star, is this. . . .?"

"Where Brend'r's dagger struck, yes," Starfire answered. "Less than an inch closer to my spine, and the blade would have cut the blood vessels to what you would call my kidneys. With them cut, I would have been dead from blood loss before I hit the ground." She turned onto her side and scooted down so she was almost face to face with Robin. "Your birdarang striking her arm saved my life."

"So I've been told," he said, then was silent for a moment. "Star?"

"Robin?" she asked at the same time, and went on when he nodded. "I wish to apologize to you for the actions of my people. They had no right to treat you the way they did."

"Kori, you can't hold yourself responsible for their actions," he said as he took her left hand in his. "This is enough for me," he said, his thumb rubbing over her bonding ring. "That and your taking those wedding vows with me." He shook his head ruefully. "Teranc'r, Brend'r, Komane'r and even the Ca'ri," he listed. "Each has taken their turn to split us up."

"And each time we have overcome the obstacle, and our love has become stronger. Beloved, I meant what I said in the Ca'ri's chamber. I do not want to live without you."

"And as I promised you, you won't have to."

"In three days, the fleet will be returning to their patrols, and the ROHA'N will return to Tamaran, taking Nie'l with it." Her fingers stopped their brushing over his cheek. "I do not wish to be separated from him either."

"Then I'll go with you to Tamaran."

"No, Robin, that is not an option for either of us. We are both Titans and have a duty to this city and this world. I will have to be satisfied with hearing from him when we can."

Robin gave her a lopsided grin. "I think I can come up with things to. . . . .distract you from missing him too much."

Starfire gave him a coy look from under her bangs. "Yes, my husband, I believe you will. Especially after I give you this news. While I was aboard the ROHA'N, Vern'a gave me a quick examination."

"And?"

Starfire giggled softly at Robin's impatience. "She told me that I am completely healed," she said softly. "So we can make our trip to Gotham our honeymoon."

Robin smiled at her. "I guess we could work out something."


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 46

The taxi stopped in the crescent shaped driveway. "That'll be twenty-five, fifty," the driver announced, putting the car in park. He flipped the flag up that shut off the meter, and pulled the lever that opened the trunk.

"Right. Here ya go," the dark haired young man said as he slipped a bill through the grate that separated the driver from his passengers. "Keep the change," he added as the driver reached for his money bag to make change.

The driver's jaw dropped open as he looked at the hundred dollar bill in his hand. "Thank. . . .thank you, sir," he stammered. "Can I help you and your lady with your bags?" he asked as the young man opened his door and got out.

"No, thank you. I've got them," he replied as he quickly closed his brown leather coat against the bitterly cold breeze that was blowing. He held the door open and held out his hand to his companion. They moved to the rear of the vehicle and took their bags from the trunk.

To anyone who could see the couple that watched the taxi drive off, the fact that they were a couple was self evident, with the casual way that the young man's arm slid around the redheads waist. He was comfortably dressed in a pair of black pants, sneakers and a t-shirt under his jacket. His black hair was combed neatly back, and the breeze kept causing a lock of his hair to droop over his right eye.

The young woman was a few inches taller, and her sneakers and jeans almost seemed out of place on her, as did the pastel purple jacket she wore.

The changes in clothing, and arrangement of their hair was amazing in that it completely disguised who they were. Even if someone were to get up close they would have a hard time realizing that they were looking at two of Jump City's heroes. All they would think is that Richard 'Dick' Grayson had returned to Gotham with his new bride.

Robin, as he was more comfortably known to Starfire, kept sneaking glances at her as they walked up to the imposing structure that was Wayne Manor, and he almost chuckled at the awestruck expression on her face. _'Almost like I was when I first came here,'_ he thought. _'Although I hid it better.'_

"So this is a house belonging to a single person, Rob. . .Richard?"

Richard smiled at her catching herself from calling him Robin. "Yes, it's privately owned, by only Bruce, Kori," he replied. "But to call it simply a house doesn't do it justice," he went on, then paused to look at the building. He wondered if he'd ever get over the overwhelming presence of the place. "It's a manor."

They went up the few steps to the door, and Kori was slightly surprised when Richard didn't even hesitate, but simply opened the door and went in. They paused in the foyer, and Richard noticed that Starfire's eyes strayed to the suits of armor that stood on either side of the entrance to the manor proper. Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Master Richard, it's good to see you home again," a male voice with a slight British accent, said warmly.

"Alfred!**"** Richard cried and gave the white haired man a warm hug.

Starfire smiled softly as she watched the reunion. She was almost jealous, as Richard seldom hugged her when there was anyone else around.

"And this must be Missus Kori," Alfred said, stepping over and helping her off with her coat. "You're even more beautiful than Master Richard described you."

Richard smiled softly as Kori blushed.

"Thank you, Mister Pennyworth."

Richard saw the warm smile that Alfred was giving Kori, and he knew what was coming next.

"Dear girl, you must call me Alfred," he said, giving her a soft smile.

"Is he here?" Richard asked.

"Master Bruce asked me to relay his regrets. He was called away and couldn't be here."

"Regrets. Right," Richard scoffed, then gave Kori a quick kiss on the cheek. "There's something I have to take care of, Kori. Alfred will show you to our room."

The two watched, as he strode purposefully away. Kori was surprised to hear her sad sigh echoed by Alfred.

"I know that I am not the only cause of the strain between them, only the most recent, though I wish it were otherwise."

"It isn't you, personally, that he dislikes."

"Yes, I know. It is Robin's and my relationship and the danger it presents to both of us." She blew out a frustrated breath, then glanced over at the older man. "I apologize for that. You are not involved in this and I have no right to bother you with my personal problems."

"My dear, they are hardly that. Master Bruce and Master Richard have had their differences for years. As you said, you're only the most recent. . . .difficulty. Now then, I shall show you to your room."

Kori frowned as she fell in behind Alfred. "Would I be intruding if I were to ask what you were doing before we entered the manor?"

Alfred stopped and looked back at his charge. Kori met his gaze for a moment then looked away nervously. "As I said, I do not wish to intrude upon your privacy, but I would much rather your company than to be alone in a strange place."

She didn't see the slight smile on Alfred's face, and he managed to smother it before she looked back. "Very well then, you may accompany me to the kitchen. I was making chocolate chip cookies," he said and almost jumped at Kori's reaction.

"Glorious!" she cried as she clasped hr hands together and floated a few inches off the floor. "Those are Richard's favorite. Thank you for letting me accompany you. I shall learn how to make them from you, as trying to learn on my own has not been successful."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Richard sat at the Bat computer, glaring at the now dark screen. The message Bruce had left him confirmed one of his thoughts. Bruce was on the Watchtower. According to the message, he had been called to assist Green Lantern on a mission off planet.

A quick check of Bruce's transponder location, and the League's mission and duty rosters confirmed the rest of what Richard thought about his old mentor. Bruce was simply avoiding himself and Kori.

He tapped at some controls and tried to raise Batman on the communications system. "Come on, Bruce, talk to me. I know you're not on a mission. You're just sitting at a terminal on the Watchtower's bridge."

"What wold be the point, Dick? You're the one who walked away from me up here."

"Because I realized that I might as well have been talking to the walls for all you were listening," Robin shot back. He blew out a breath in frustration. "Bruce, one of the things you taught me was that a good detective keeps his mind open to all possibilities. Why is your mind so closed to this?"

"Because it's one of the rules we have to live by, Dick. We can't get involved with team mates."

"Have you quoted that to Diana lately, or Green Lantern and Shayera?"

"There's an age difference there, Dick. It's a matter of responsibility."

"Don't give me that, Bruce. It's been rare, but you've told me before, that you felt I was doing a good job of running the Titans over the last four years. Bruce, in all honesty, I thought you'd be happy for me, and that I was able to find someone to share my life with."

"I'm not promising, but I'll see if I can be there tomorrow," Bruce said and the channel clicked as he turned off his end of the link.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Starfire straightened up from sliding a cookie sheet into the oven, then removed the apron she was wearing. She moved to stand beside Alfred as he was washing the bowl that had been used to mix the cookie dough. She blushed slightly as he glanced over at her with an eyebrow raised before he handed her the bowl so she could dry it.

"If you'll excuse my saying, you are exactly as Master Richard described you."

"Knowing him, I am certain that he was not entirely accurate."

Alfred chuckled softly as he checked the timer then peered through the oven's window. "True, but he was certain that I would find myself with someone who would help, rather than just stand by and watch me work."

"I am sorry, but even when I was on Tamaran, I was uncomfortable with being waited on hand and foot," she said, then blushed. "I forgot that I am not supposed to refer to myself that way."

"I assure you, Starfire, that your secret is safe with me."

Starfire nodded her head. "I know, just as Robin's is." She glanced over at Alfred. "I know that you guard his secrets, but can you tell me why Bruce is so opposed to Robin's and my relationship? With what Robin has told me about him, I thought he would be happy that Robin had found someone to share his life with."

Just as Alfred opened his mouth to answer the timer rang. _'Ah, saved by the bell, for the moment at least,'_ he thought, as they both got up to take the cookies from the oven.

"I don't know everything he thinks, but I believe that he fears that Master Richard will get injured if he's distracted by looking after you." They finished placing the cookies on plates, then he took two glasses from the cupboard and a container of milk from the refrigerator. "I take it you wish to join me in sampling our work?"

Starfire smiled and nodded her head, and they talked as they munched on the cookies.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

After he stewed over Bruce's refusal to listen to his side of things for a while, Richard was glad to be out of the Bat Cave. He watched as the clock slid back into position, hiding the entrance to the Bat Cave, then turned and walked to the door to the study. He smiled softly, when he used their bond and found that Starfire was in the kitchen. When they had entered the manor, his nose had told him that Alfred was baking cookies. He headed that way, and as he approached the kitchen, he heard a voice that wasn't Kori's or Alfred's; it was another girl's. He couldn't tell what was being said, but as he opened the door, the two girls were laughing.

"Were you able to contact him, and get him to understand?"

"We talked, Kori, but I doubt it made any difference," Richard replied, then his jaw dropped open when the other girl stood and turned to face him.

"Good to see you, Richard. It's been a while."

"Babs? What are you doing here?" Richard watched as the redhead walked over to him.

_'It is alright, Robin,'_ Starfire said through their bond. _'I know that when old friends meet that they hug.'_

"Let's just say that a certain someone let me know you were coming, and I just had to see you," she replied, then gave him a hug, which Richard returned. "You, and your new wife."

"It's good to see you, and I take it Alfred introduced you to Kori?"

"Yes he did, seeing that you weren't around to," Barbara Gordon replied, and failed at keeping a straight face as she continued. "You know that's not being a good host."

Richard was surprised when even Alfred joined Kori and Babs in a soft chuckle. "Yeah, well if it was my home, I'd be more concerned.

"Richard, he's just looking out for your best interest," Babs said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Personally, I couldn't be happier for you." She crossed over so she was standing next to where Kori sat, and put her hands on her shoulders. "She's quite a catch. I can see how she caught your heart."

Richard saw Kori blush at the praise, and he gave her a knowing grin. "Yeah, well she's patient enough, and persistent too."

"Yes," Kori said. "It was most difficult to get him to admit that he had the feelings for me, especially to himself."

Richard went over and took that seat next to Kori, his arm sliding around her shoulders. "It took her almost getting killed to shake that out of me."

"Of course that was after you wallowed in guilt for a while, I'll bet."

"No," Kori said. "From what I was told, he was too furious with those who attacked me to feel the guilt."

Not having an argument for that statement, Richard simply shrugged his shoulders and took a cookie from the plate closest to him. "These are great, Alfred," he said around the mouthful. "You really outdid yourself this time."

"I'd like to take the credit, Master Richard, but your wife made that plate of cookies."

Kori smiled broadly at the surprised look Richard gave her. "And he did not have to help me much at all," she said. "Just some adjustments to my recipe."

Richard gave her a kiss on the cheek, then looked up when Alfred cleared his throat. "Unless you're changing your mind, Master Richard, it's time."

Kori grew curious at the sober expression that replaced her husband's smile.

"Thanks, Alfred. No, I haven't changed my mind."

"Will you be wishing for Miss Gordon to join you?"

Before he could reply, Babara spoke up. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm meeting someone for dinner , and I've got just enough time to get there."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

After seeing Barbara to the door, Richard and Kori followed Alfred to one of the many doors in the manor.

"I took the liberty of lighting a fire, Master Richard," he said as he slipped a key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

"Thanks, Alfred," Richard said, then turned to Kori. "Give me a few moments, okay? You'll know when you can come in, Kori."

The door closed, and Kori turned to Alfred. "What is in there? Do you know what's going on?"

"If you'll just be patient, my dear, you'll find out," Alfred replied. A moment later he noticed that she was staring intently at the door. "What is it, child?"

Kori shook her head slightly. "I am sorry, it is just. . . .well, I have not known Richard to be so sad, although I understand why." She turned back to the door, and quietly opened it.

She saw that Richard was standing in front of a fireplace, looking up at a painting that hung above the mantle. Kori came up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. "They are a handsome couple, Richard."

The portrait was of a man and woman. The man was tall and broad chested, muscular without being overly so, and his black hair was cut short. His left arm was draped over the shoulders of a blond woman who had her head laying on his chest, a loving smile on her face.

"They're my parents, Kori," Richard said softly. "Every year, I come here to remind myself why I started doing what I do, why I became Robin. Alfred showed me this portrait a few days after. . ."

"You must have your mother's eyes," she said, noting that John Grayson's were brown, "but I see that you share his expression for the one you love."

Richard smiled at her then lead her over to a small couch that was set before a TV, and Alfred sat in an overstuffed chair. With a small sigh, Richard picked up a small remote and pressed a button on it. The TV came to life with a snowy screen then flickered as a tape started playing. The scene opened to the entrance of a circus, over the babble of the milling crowd a calliope could be heard playing in the background, as could the occasional roar of a big cat and the trumpet of an elephant.

"A circus? After your reaction when I managed to convince you to take me to one, I am surprised you are watching this," Kori said.

"Look at the date, Kori," he said, indicating the date and time displayed on the bottom corner of the screen.

Kori looked at the numbers displayed, and her eyes widened in recognition. "Nine years ago," she said softly, then looked worriedly at Richard.

The tape started again, then cut to the interior of the big top.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages. I present to you the fearless Flying Graysons!" the Ringmaster cried. The camera's focus swung up to where two spotlights shone on a small platform about thirty feet in the air. "As always performing their daring feats without the safety of a net." The Ringmaster added.

On the platform were John and Mary Grayson stood wearing robes. They raised their arms in greeting to the crowd, then shed the robes to reveal red form fitting outfits. John Grayson reached over his shoulder and retrieved a trapeze swing.

They watched as he swung over to a second swing, then as Mary swung over to be caught by her husband who was hanging from the swing by his legs. The Ringmaster announced the entrance of the youngest member of the Graysons, and the spotlights shone on nine year old Richard, who also wore a robe. He raised his hands to the crowd and was just starting to take his robe off when something above him caught his attention.

The camera swung back over to catch John and Mary as they swung back to Richard, John holding his wife by the legs as she reached out her arms to catch Richard. Just as they reached the end of their swing the wires supporting the trapeze seemed to snap. There were several screams then the tape went black.

"X'Hal, my love," Kori whispered into the silence that followed. "I know that you have told us, and what I have felt through our bond, but like you with my experiences with the Gordanians, I did not know the full extent." He forehead furrowed as she thought. "Richard, why do you do this? Why put yourself through this?"

"Like I said before, to remind myself of why I became Robin," he said, then paused. When he spoke again his voice was husky, and just above a whisper. "And so I can see my parents again, even if it's only for a few moments."

The redhead nodded knowingly, and brushed her fingers over his cheek. "I am honored that you chose to share this with me, and that you were not alone."

"I haven't been alone, Kori."

"And I'm happy to see that my presence is no longer required," Alfred said. "It's been an honor, Master Richard, and I thank you for letting me be here for you in the past. Now if you'll excuse me, I just go put your luggage into your rooms."

"He's the only other one who's seen this tape," Richard said as the door closed behind Alfred. "So now you know all about me."

"And as you can see, it has made no difference as to how I feel about you," Starfire said, turning toward him. "Your past neither repels or frightens me." She smiled softly as she felt Richards relief at her words. "I still wish to be with you and near you, body and soul," she added as she slid her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace.

When Alfred had left the young couple, he didn't move their luggage right away. Instead, he made his way to the Bat Cave and opened a channel on the communications station.

"Something wrong, Alfred?" Batman asked in response to the call.

"No Master Bruce, it's just that I'd like to speak to you for a few moments."


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 47

Starfire woke with a start. She didn't know what, but something had made a noise in the manor. Richard had left a while ago, giving no other explanation than that he wanted to be alone for a while. The noise repeated itself, a soft creak coming from one of the windows. Floating a few inches above the mattress of the bed, she floated off it and to the right of the windows, taking a defensive stance. She wished that she had on her normal outfit, but she had been assured that she wouldn't have to worry about doing any fighting, so she allowed herself to relax. She was thankful for the carpet on the floor, which would help keep her bare feet from slipping, and she noted that her satin pajama set wouldn't restrict her movement.

Starfire tensed as the moon slid from behind a cloud, the soft light silhouetting the figure at the windows. Her thoughts quickly went over who all she knew that might be able to get past the security that Richard had told her surrounded the manor. As the window slid open further her mind came to two people who could; Red X, and Slade. The mere thought of Slade possibly invading her sleeping quarters caused a surge of anger to flow through her. She cursed mentally, as the result must have been her eyes glowing softly, because the figure at the window stiffened slightly.

"Relax, Starfire, it's just me," a deep baritone voice said, as he stepped from the shadows.

"Do you often stealthily enter the room of your guests who are female, Mr. Wayne?" Starfire asked as she took her robe from the foot of her bed and slipped it on.

Bruce noted that the robe Starfire wore was actually a jade green kimono that was just a shade darker than her eyes. _'I have to admit that Dick has good taste,' _he thought to himself. "No, not normally, Starfire, but I've been told by someone I trust very deeply, that I should hear you out with an open mind."

"I see that you have dropped the pretense of calling me Kori. I find it interesting that you presume to have from others the trust that you do not return," Starfire said, meeting his gaze. "The only trust I give you is because Robin has told me that I should."

"I am a member of the Justice League, after all."

"That is true, and another point in your favor, but while I was on the Watchtower you gave me several reasons not to trust you, and showed me clearly that you do not really trust me."

Starfire was surprised to see Bruce look away, a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry for the loss of your child, Starfire. Had I known of your pregnancy and the effect veka serum would have on it, I would have found another way to ensure the safety of the League, and the Titans."

Starfire sighed, then decided to change subjects. "Do you realize how much your rejection of Robin's and my relationship hurts him?"

"I doubt that it does. He's long since stopped seeking my approval for his actions."

Standing, Starfire crossed over to the window and looked out over the neatly manicured lawn in the moonlight. "On the surface I know it appears that way, and in some instances you are correct, but the few times that you have complimented him on how he runs the Titans have been very important to him." She looked back over her shoulder at Bruce. "Much as he wants to be out from your shadow, he very much wants to make you proud of him." She thought for a moment before going on. "You are very much a father figure to him."

Bruce gave a snort of derision. "You'll have a hard time convincing me of that."

"I am hoping that I do not have to. You know what the crystals do, that I know his feelings. When he was Slade's prisoner, Slade told him that after a time that Robin would think of him as a father. That was one of several mistakes Slade made as it strengthened Robin's hatred of him because, as Robin told him, he already had a father."

"He never told me. Yes, he was grateful when I helped him take down Zuco, and we made a good team for quite a while, but we were always, well. . . .businesslike with each other."

"As Raven would say, that is quite the news flash. May I ask why you adopted Richard after his parent's death?"

"He needed somewhere to go, and I thought I could provide for him," Bruce replied. "I wasn't aware that I said anything funny," he added when Starfire giggled.

"It is what you did not said that I find amusing," she said. "I must remember to tell Diana that she was correct, you do not see it."

"You spoke with Diana?"

"Of course. Why should I not have? She was the only one on the Watchtower that had much in common with me."

"What would you have in common with her?"

"I see that she was correct in that you would not see this either. We are both royalty among our own people," Starfire said, then looked sideways at Bruce, "and we both have found ourselves attracted to similar men."

"I doubt that he'd like being compared to me."

"To be honest that is one thing I think we agree on. But he is very much like you. Driven, focused, determined, serious," Starfire said, then gasped softly.

"What?"

"It is that description," Starfire replied. "It is the one Robin told me of what he had in common with Slade." She was thoughtful for a moment then looked sharply over at the cape and cowled figure near the window. "He said the difference between himself and Slade was that Slade did not have any friends," she lowered her eyes almost sadly. "While you also have friends, you discourage them. That makes you closer to Slade than Robin, for one day they will give up on trying to be your friend."

"Starfire, I assure you that I'm not going to become like Slade," Bruce said, then almost felt intimidated by the intensity that Starfire was staring at him with.

"No. I do not believe that you would. For the same reason that I know that Robin would not go down that path. Your sense of justice is too strong."

"Diana is a valued colleague, and a good friend, but. . . ." Bruce began, but cut off at the vehemence of the words Starfire muttered under her breath as she slapped the flat of her hand on the window sill.

"That is another thing Diana and I have in common. Not understanding you men. You can not change the way she feels for you, and I believe you are aware of that." Getting no response but an icy stare she changed tack. "A few days ago, Robin had listed all the ones who had tried to split us apart, and I did not realize it until now that he had left one person off the list. You. What you do with your own life is your business, and I have no right to try to change your decisions, but I ask you to consider your outlook on Robin and I. Mister Wayne, we love each other, very much, and nothing you can do will change that. Not even your giving us separate rooms. Just so you know that is not keeping us apart tonight."

"I see that he's not here."

"He is not in the manor at all. He left just after dark saying that he needed some time alone. With what he was feeling after viewing the tape of his parents death, I am not surprised."

Bruce nodded knowingly. "I've taken enough of your time tonight, Starfire. Good night."

"Mr. Wayne, Diana already knows what you would do if she was in trouble, and she would go to the same lengths for you," Starfire said, stopping him at the door. "Does it really matter if you openly show your feelings?"

He paused for a moment then closed the door behind him.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was shortly after sunrise and Starfire had come down from the roof of the manor after watching the sun come up. As she expected she found Alfred puttering around in the kitchen. A question and a few moments later found her in the Batcave doing some stretches and warming up exercises for when Robin got back, and they started their morning training session.

"You're up early," a slightly sleepy voice said.

Starfire turned, her hands raised defensively, both glowing bright green. She relaxed when she saw who it was. "So that is what you look like when you are ready for action?"

Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, looked down at herself then back at Starfire. "It does the job of hiding my identity and not restricting my movement," she said. "What time did you get up, anyway?"

Starfire returned to her warm up exercises, and glanced over at the clock. "Since shortly before sunrise," she replied. "I was hoping that Robin would have returned, so that we could watch the sun come up together, but he has not. For that matter, he is fifteen minutes late for practice. If it was me or any of the other Titans that was this late we would get the talking to, however, I will allow him the slack today."

"So you normally start practice at six?" Batgirl asked, and Starfire nodded. "Care to practice with me? I could use the change in partners."

"As you wish," Starfire said, her hand going to the small of her back. She saw the surprised look on Batgirl's face as the staff extended to its full length. "A gift from Robin," she said.

"And he taught you how to use it, right?"

In reply, Starfire twirled the staff like a propeller, and when she stopped in one end was by her left shoulder and ran along her extended left arm, with the rest of the length extending past her hand. "Come and find out if you wish," she said with a confident smirk.

Barbara wasn't going to take up the challenge, until Starfire made the 'come on' gesture with her right hand. _'She can't be as good as Robin,'_ she thought, then went on the offensive. She was surprised to find that her punches and kicks being easily blocked.

The two kept up like that for a while, neither able to gain an advantage. Suddenly Starfire lowered her staff.

"I am sorry. I believe I have taken an advantage," she said, hovering a few feet off the ground. "If I had not used my ability to fly, you would have succeeded in knocking me down."

"No, that's alright," Barbara said. "Robin told me of your abilities. If I hadn't wanted you to fly, I should have said so."

Starfire nodded, then gasped as her sight went dark as a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" a voice said from behind her.

Barbara almost giggled at the smile that lit up Starfire's face.

"Robin!" Starfire cried happily. She quickly turned and hugged him tightly. "You have returned from your night of patrolling."

Robin smiled as he returned the hug, then kissed her.

"Now what would Bruce say?" Barbara quipped as they broke the kiss.

"I really don't care," Robin said as he kept his left arm around Starfire's waist. "If he doesn't like that I hug and kiss my wife, then tough."

"Well, I actually meant about your being almost half an hour late for practice," Barbara said. "Starfire wasn't going to say anything about it, but I will."

Robin raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Hey, I ride you guys hard enough if you're late. I'm surprised you're not taking advantage of the opening to return the favor."

"I was giving you the slack because of what day it is," Starfire said. "You have enough on your mind as it is."

"That's twice you mentioned today as if there is something special about it," Barbara said. "What gives?"

"Does she not know, or has she forgotten?" Starfire asked Robin.

"Today's the anniversary of my parents' death, Babs."

"Ouch, sorry."

"Yeah, well Bruce knows I don't usually train today," Robin said.

Starfire looked around when the soft ringing of a bell could be heard. "Breakfast is served, Master Richard," Alfred's voice said.

"Sounds like Alfred knows too," Barbara commented. "I'm going to change then I'll be up."

"We'll wait," Robin said and he watched her go into the small changing room.

"So, was your patrol last night satisfactory?"

"Only in that it showed me that I really should have brought you along," Robin replied, drawing her into a hug. "It's about time I realized that I don't have to face things like this alone."

Starfire shivered as he kissed just below her ear. "Despite the time you have tried to push us away, my husband, you have friends who care deeply for you. You will never be alone again."

Whatever Robin was going to say in reply was cut off as Starfire sealed his lips with hers.

"Oh come on, get a room," Barbara said when she saw the two of them. "Umm, Alfred has breakfast waiting," she added when they didn't stop.

"She has a point, Star," Robin said a little breathlessly.

"Agreed," Starfire said as her stomach grumbled softly. "Oh, and we do intend to get a room," she added to Barbara.

Robin looked over at her as they walked arm in arm to the elevator. "You're in a feisty mood this morning."

"Is that a complaint, my husband?"

"No. Not at all."

"Good. Just remember, it was you who decided to leave me here alone last night," she said. "Although if you did not, then I would not have been here to have a little talk with Mister Wayne."

"What?" Robin asked, ignoring the fact that Barbara had gotten into the elevator with them. "When was this?"

"Right about the middle of the night," Starfire replied, then related the conversation. "I do not believe that it had much effect on his opinion though."

"I wouldn't be to sure of that, Kori," Barbara pipped up. "His not giving you an argument after your question means that you gave him something to think about that hadn't occurred to him yet."

"You're right there, Babs. I wonder if he'll be at breakfast?"

As it turned out Bruce didn't join them for breakfast, and Robin's hopes at him changing his mind fell slightly. Starfire, on the other hand, simply had a blast, enjoying the different foods that Alfred had prepared. Breakfast at the Tower usually was either cereal or Cyborgs famous waffles. In addition to waffles, Alfred had prepared pancakes, link and patty sausage, and eggs to order.

"What do you mean, to order?" she had asked.

Richard smiled, knowing where this was going to lead. "There are different ways that eggs can be cooked, Kori," he told her, hoping that Alfred was up to the task that was about to befall him.

"This I must try," Kori said and proceeded to ask for different types of eggs as soon as she finished one kind.

Over the next half hour she tried; eggs Benedict, sunny side up, poached, scrambled, and a western omelet, in addition to the two types of sausage and a good sized stack of both waffles and pancakes.

Richard watched with a bemused smile as Babara was amazed at how much the slender redhead ate. Of course he was no slouch either, having both waffles and pancakes, both types of sausage and some scrambled eggs along with his coffee and orange juice.

"I thank you, Alfred, for a truly enjoyable meal," Kori said as she sipped her coffee.

"It was my pleasure, my dear. It has been some time since I've had such an appetite to satisfy."

"Hey, I was a growing boy back then," Richard protested.

Alfred smiled warmly at him, "And I am glad to see the man that you grew into, Master Richard."


	49. Chapter 49

Epilogue

The afternoon was bright and clear, the sunlight warming up the air. The couple walked on the well manicured grass, the red haired young woman staying respectfully silent. Her black haired companion carried two bouquets of roses, one red, the other white. As they walked, memories played tricks on his vision as he saw the grave sites with their caskets under an awning. He remembered his feeling that it should have been a dreary, rainy day rather than the clear sunny one it had been.

They stopped at the foot of a set of marked graves. The headstones were simple granite slabs the face polished except where the names and dates had been chiseled into it. John Grayson beloved husband and father and Mary Grayson beloved wife and mother.

Richard noticed that the grounds keepers had removed the wilted stems of the last bouquet of roses from the vases set before the stones, and he stepped forward placing the red roses at his mother's grave the white ones at his fathers, then stepped back and stood silently for a moment. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt Starfire take his hand. He looked over at her, and she gave him a small uncertain smile which he returned with a more confident one, then looked back at the headstones feeling a little self-conscious. "Mom, Dad, this is Starfire, the girl I've been telling you about."

Starfire listened as Robin talked, not thinking it strange that he was talking to people who had been dead for almost ten years.

Robin knew that what he was doing would seem strange to anyone who would be watching. Anyone but Starfire and those who had lost either their parents or someone close to them. "We're married now. I wish that you could meet her, and I really wish you could have been at the wedding. That way I'd know what you would think."

"They'd be happy, Richard. Happy for and proud of you, as I am."

Robin turned at the unexpected voice. Unexpected, but not unfamiliar. "What. . . . ?" he began.

"Dick. . . .Richard I'm not very good at expressing myself sometimes, especially how I feel about those I care about," Bruce said.

"So that is where he gets it from," Starfire commented.

Bruce and Robin both chuckled lightly at that.

"You know, Dick, your wife is not only a skilled diplomat, but a excellent tactician," Bruce said as they walked away from the grave site. "When she realized that I wasn't listening to either of you, she went to the one person that had a chance of getting through to me, and convinced him to do just that."

"Alfred?"

Bruce nodded. "She convinced him that neither one of us was looking at the whole picture," he said. "For lack of a better term, you were looking at your relationship with her through rose colored glasses, while all I could see was the danger it put you both into."

"I am relieved to see that our talk over milk and cookies was fruitful," Kori said, then looked over at Richard. "You have a tendency to place me on a pedestal, my love, as I do you, while Mister Wayne sees me as, to use a gossip articles words, a temptress to blind you to danger."

Bruce chuckled at the stunned face that Richard made. "I wouldn't have used quite those words, but the analogy is right. Just so you know, all Alfred did was to convince me to hear you out. To be totally honest it was your parting statement and question to me that turned the tables. How much of that problem with Circe did she tell you?"

"She gave away no secrets. All she told me was that in exchange for Circe turning Diana back from being a pig, you had to surrender some of your dignity," Kori replied. "From what I know of you it was a very dear price."

"And one I'd pay again without a second thought," Bruce said. "You're right, Kori. It doesn't matter if I admit what I may or may not feel for Diana, but it colors my judgment and actions anyway, as did your and Richards on many occasions from what I have seen of your teams reports."

"I understand that I owe you a thank you, Kori," a woman's voice said as they neared where the cars were parked.

"Diana, it is good to see you," Kori said as she trotted over and gave her a hug. "For what do you owe me the thanks?"

"These are for you, Dick," Bruce said tossing a something to him.

"Keys?" Richard asked catching them. "To what?"

"The guest cottage on the manor grounds," Bruce replied. "The last thing I want is a set of teen-aged newlyweds underfoot while I have company."

"I was planning on going to a hotel for a few days, then back to the Tower."

"Sorry, Dick, but you'll be here for at least a week, maybe two," Bruce said tossing a folded newspaper to him. "You and your wife are quite the item for the moment."

"Stunning redhead captures the heart of Gotham's favorite son," Richard read from the headline. Underneath was a picture of he and Kori as they left the airport. "Richard Grayson returns home after a long absence with a new wife in tow, and the question on everyone's mind is who is this gorgeous young woman who has managed to shatter the dreams of the local debutantes," he read. "Oh great."

"What is it, Richard?" Kori asked as she walked over to him.

"This is the gossip column from the Gotham Times," Richard replied. "Remember when the Jump City papers ran those pictures from the high rise fire?"

"I see, so that means that our marriage is well known."

"That's only part of it, Kori," Bruce said. "You'll have three days to yourselves, then there'll a round of charity dinners and events that we'll have to attend."

"We?"

Bruce chuckled slightly at Richards question as he stood next to Diana. "Don't worry, Dick, you're not going to be alone in this," he said. "I'll be officially taking myself off the market, so to speak. I just hope we're both creative enough to explain who Diana and Kori are without giving things away.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Alfred is a wonderful cook," Kori said as Richard unlocked the door to the cottage. She and Richard had gone to a Chinese restaurant for lunch, but had been invited by Bruce and Diana to have dinner at the manor. She went to enter the small house when Richard opened the door, but he stopped her and scooped her up into his arms. "What are you doing?"

"It's an old human custom, Kori," Richard replied, carrying her into the house. "The new husband carries his wife across the threshold of their home."

"But this is not our new home. We still live in Titans Tower," she said, then noticed that Richard was blushing slightly as he set her down. "You do know that if any of the others know of this tradition they will ask if you do not perform it when we return, yes?"

"Yeah, well I just didn't want to give them something else to pick on us about," he admitted, then smiled softly as she rolled her eyes at his comment. _'She's been hanging around Raven too much.'_

"Richard, they are our friends. The are only teasing, they do not mean the harm," she said, then gave him a questioning look. "Or are you embarrassed about being my husband?"

He took both her hands in his. "Kori, I was deeply honored when you took the Oath with me," he said, then instantly realized that she wouldn't take much teasing on this subject, as she pulled her hands from his and turned away.

"Being honored is not the same as being happy about it, Robin."

Knowing that he had hit a nerve, he quickly made amends. He slid his hands around her waist from behind. "Star, the day we took the Oath made me that happiest man alive." He turned her so she was facing him. "Starfire, I love you. I have since shortly after we met, I was just to stubborn to admit it." He turned away as he went on. "Part of it was that was because of what Bruce taught me, but most of it was because of what happened nine years ago. As I told you once before, when my parents died part of me died too. I didn't want to take the risk of getting that close to someone again."

"But you had to know that I cared for you in that way," Starfire said softly. "If not from my statements to you on the roof of the Wayne Enterprises building, then with what we discussed while we were on that planet."

"I know, Star. I'm only sorry that it took seeing you in that hospital bed, bruised and beaten, to bring me to my senses."

"I remember your concern to cause me no further injury," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "and the gentleness of your touch as you held my hand even as I felt your anger as I related what happened." She rested her chin on his shoulder. "I believe then was my first real glimpse of the Richard Grayson beneath the stern, controlled surface of Robin."

Robin turned toward her and they hugged. "So what do you want to do tonight?" he asked. He smiled softly at the look she gave him.

"Robin we are quovanya and on our sivanar," she said, using the Tamaranean words for newlyweds and honeymoon. "If I need to tell you, than someone has replaced the husband I knew three months ago with an impostor."

"Well, we both know that's not possible," he said with a chuckle, taking his crystal from under his shirt. "Although at 6:30 it's a little early."

"To go to the room of bedding, yes, however we do have some time alone at the moment," Starfire said and sat on the couch.

He sat beside her and they kissed. A few moments later Robin was curious as she pulled away from him, and he could feel that something was now bothering her. "What's the matter, Star?"

"Did you mean what you said when you addressed the fleet?" she asked, looking back over her shoulder at him. "That things would be better if I was not a Titan, or your wife?"

He smiled softly he used his crooked index finger to tint her head up so he could see her face. "I said it would be less complicated if you weren't a Titan," he said.

"So it would be better. . . ." she began, but cut off as he placed his index finger against her lips.

"Star, I hope you complicate my life for a very long time," he said, then they kissed.

fin


End file.
